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Estuaries’ Role in the Water Cycle
In the water cycle, estuaries serve as places where evaporation of water occurs, and also serve to recharge ground water.
Rain falls onto the surface of the earth and runs into lakes, streams and rivers. This runoff flows down slopes and steep hills into large rivers. Rivers wind past cities and towns to empty into estuaries and coastal oceans. Water held in bays and lagoons of estuaries recharges the ground water. The hot sun beats down on water in estuaries; water molecules warm up, become more active and evaporate. In estuaries, liquid water changes into water vapor, a gas form of water. Some water also evaporates from estuarine vegetation.
As water vapor rises from estuaries, cold air above Earth’s surface causes water vapor to cool. By condensation, water vapor mixes with tiny particles of dust, salt and smoke to form cloud droplets. Cloud droplets collect to become clouds. Winds push clouds around Earth. Steep mountains slow down passing clouds. Water vapor in clouds cools; water molecules congregate, become heavy, and form precipitation. Precipitation falls as rain, sleet, hail or snow. The water cycle starts once more.
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Last Updated on: 06-24-2008
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