Soil & nature cycles · Evaporation, precipitation and flow
Where does water travel?
A puddle shrinks. Puschel looks for a hole and finds a new explanation.
The short answer
Liquid water can evaporate into the air as invisible water vapour. Plants release water too. Cooling can form tiny cloud droplets. Water returns as rain or snow, then flows onwards or soaks into the soil. Not every drop follows the same route.
Water changes place and state
1. Water changes state
Surface water evaporates as invisible vapour; plants release water too.
2. Clouds and precipitation develop
Cooling can form tiny droplets, and ice crystals occur too.
3. Many return routes exist
Water infiltrates, stays stored in lakes or soil, or flows through streams.
In picture one the arrow stands for invisible water vapour, not a visible water jet. The cloud in picture two contains tiny liquid drops.
Picture three shows rain and returning water. Water can evaporate from land and lakes again: the cycle continues.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel’s puddle is smaller today. Puschel“Did somebody drink it?” Flauschi looks at the drying edge. Flauschi“Some water may have soaked in or evaporated.”
They look towards clouds and a distant stream. Puschel follows possible water routes in his thoughts instead of leaving the path.
Puschel“A journey with no suitcase,” he says. Flauschi laughs. Some journeys are short; others stay hidden in a store for a long time.
Little Wusel quiz
Does a puddle only shrink when an animal drinks from it?
Show answer
No. Water can also evaporate, soak into soil or flow away.
Word help
- crystal
- A solid with tiny building blocks arranged in a regular pattern.
- precipitation
- Water reaching Earth from clouds, such as rain or snow.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
Water changes state
Surface water evaporates as invisible vapour; plants release water too.
Clouds and precipitation develop
Cooling can form tiny droplets, and ice crystals occur too. Particles grow and may fall as rain or snow.
Many return routes exist
Water infiltrates, stays stored in lakes or soil, or flows through streams. A cycle picture summarises paths without claiming every drop immediately completes the same route.
References for this explanation: [1]
The key points again
Discover
Liquid water can evaporate into invisible water vapour. Plants also release water into the air.
Understand
When it cools, vapour can condense. Water returns from clouds as precipitation.
Connections
Water can soak into soil, be stored or flow through streams and rivers. The water cycle has many routes and stores.