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Human influance on the natural water cycle
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It made me think about what water really is and how important it is in our lives. Read on to find out about our most valuable resource WATER.
It begins to freeze at 0 degrees Centigrade (32 degrees Fahrenheit) and to boil at 100 degrees Centigrade (212 degrees Fahrenheit) WATER is very clever and is the only substance that occurs at ordinary temperatures in all three states of matter which are:
When in its pure form WATER is tasteless, odourless and colourless. WATER is one of the worlds most important resources. You can live without food for nearly 2 months but with no WATER you could be dead within a couple of weeks. It is not just humans who require WATER but all forms of life ranging from animals to the plants in your garden. Animals use WATER in a similar way to us whilst plants make their own food from WATER and air with some help from the sun. A plant uses the 'capillary action' to get the water from its roots to its leaves. For an experiment which you can carry out in your own home, please click here. Without WATER what would we eat, what would grow? The World would soon be a desert without any chance of life. FACT: DID YOU KNOW that the Human Body consists of 66% WATER and for the Brain this proportion increases to a volume of nearly 85%? The WATER Cycle is nature's way of providing a continuous supply of water. This process has been going for millions of years even in the Jurassic age. The illustration below shows how the WATER Cycle works today.
OCEAN When Oceans are heated up by the sun, WATER vapour rises to the sky just like the steam coming out of a kettle. This process is called Evaporation. This can happen anywhere there is WATER and a heat source, such as lakes, rivers, garden ponds and even puddles caused by rain. FACT: DID YOU KNOW that WATER covers nearly 70% of the Earth? Out of this 70%, the Oceans hold 97%, Polar Caps 2% with the rivers and lakes holding the last 1%. It is a lot of WATER! CLOUD STORAGE The WATER vapour which has risen then forms into clouds. As long as it stays warm the vapour will remain as clouds. FACT: DID YOU KNOW that on any given day there is about 10 days of rain in the clouds? RAIN When the temperature of the clouds drop the vapour then turns into droplets of WATER which we know as rain. This is how the water returns to the surface of the Earth. Rainfall, although not always pleasant, is very important in supplying us with our WATER. To find out how to create your own rain gauge at home, please click here. STORAGE When the rain falls the water is mostly absorbed into the ground. The WATER is collected deep in WATER bearing rocks called aquifers. The WATER then flows into rivers and streams and in some cases may appear above ground as natural springs. Portsmouth Water has a large collection of natural springs. For more information on where our water comes from please click here. For animals this is where the cycle ends with them taking what they need from rivers and lakes with the remainder of the WATER flowing back into the sea where the evaporation process begins all over again. Due to this WATER Cycle the water doesn't get used - it simply goes round and round. The quantity of WATER available depends almost entirely on favourable weather conditions. Without both the sun and rain
the
WATER cannot get from
the oceans into our rivers and lakes. Human
influence on the water cycle Whilst the WATER cycle is fine for animals, before humans can drink the water safely, additional measures are required. This is where man intervenes in order to provide a safe supply of water. The following areas are where man enters the Water Cycle. STORAGE
Portsmouth Water uses the River Itchen as an additional source of WATER. For more information on the River Itchen please click here. WATER TREATMENT For Human consumption the WATER needs to be treated to make it safe to use. This is where your local WATER Company enters the WATER cycle. The cleaning process can be very complex dependent on where the raw water comes from. Click here for more information about how your water is treated by Portsmouth Water. HOMES When the WATER is clean and has been quality tested then through the Company's distribution network of mains it is supplied to homes, businesses, schools, farms etc. in the area. SEWAGE TREATMENT When we use water by various means it gets dirty and gets discharged via the sinks and toilet into our drains. Before it can be released into the rivers and oceans to begin the WATER cycle its needs to cleaned, This is done at a Sewage Treatment Works. In this area the clean WATER is supplied by Portsmouth Water while Southern Water looks after your sewage. Due to this WATER Cycle the water doesn't get used - it simply goes round and round. The quantity of WATER available depends almost entirely on favourable weather conditions. Without both the sun and rain
the
WATER cannot get from
the oceans into our rivers and lakes. Water
is fun WATER as well as providing life for our planet it also can be fun. It can provide enjoyment simply by relaxing next to the sea on the beach. Swimming is a very popular pastime both in the sea or in public swimming baths. Many sports are played with and on water. These range from Sailing to Fishing. REMEMBER WATER IS ALSO DANGEROUS AND CAN KILL Here are some tips so you can enjoy the uses of WATER safely - Learn to swim - Never swim alone - Respect WATER as it is possible to drown in only a few centimetres. For a couple of fun experiments to try in your own home, check out these home experiments.
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As
you can see I'm having great fun in the water riding the waves, and catching
some rays to top up my tan! 
