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💡 Water on the move
Water rises as vapour, gathers into clouds, falls as rain or snow and flows back to the sea — a loop now being reshaped by a warming climate.
What is the water cycle?
- Water evaporates from rivers, lakes and oceans and condenses into clouds; it returns as precipitation (rain, hail, snow) and flows back to the ocean.
- Some water seeps through soil and rock (infiltration and groundwater), dissolving minerals and transporting nutrients to the sea to support marine life.
- Climate change is reshaping it — a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture (heavier rains and droughts), melting glaciers raise sea levels, and less infiltration makes agriculture harder.
NCERT Question 3 — Explain how climate change affects
Explain how climate change affects the water cycle. Illustrate with examples.
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Important Definitions
- Water cycle — the continuous movement of water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation and infiltration, and finally back to the ocean.
- Infiltration — the seeping of water through soil and rocks beneath the Earth’s surface, which recharges groundwater.
- Run off — water that flows over the surface instead of soaking in; sudden intense rainfall increases run off and erodes the soil.
