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The Water Cycle Preserves our Environment and the Energy We Need


Without the water cycle, what does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

Generations come, and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises, and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south, and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. Ecclesiastes 1:3 – 7.

The science of water (hydrologic cycle) provides us with an explanation of this continuous movement. The water above us, on the surface, and below us never rests. It may change states, but its balance remains the same. Just remember this; our world’s water is in constant motion.

For example, it may be a glacier today, but a year from now, its rain in Indonesia, a vapor in Iceland and in six months it’s a watermelon in Brazil. It could be an apple in Washington, then a salmon in the ocean. Wash your face with it in London today; and water rice paddies in Japan a year from now. H2O molecules are on the move.

The beauty of the water cycle is in its simplicity. From sea to shining sea, the continuing cycle keeps the mountains white and the forested hills and grassy valleys green. The rhythm brings rain for our crops production, and by it we take of the seas bounty. It’s because it cycles that we can heat and cool our homes. Because of it, lamps light our way. With h2o, we wash our bodies, cook, work, and even play in it.

Water cycle science is what it is, how we understand it, and then what we do with it. On the molecular level, water is unique, it’s unusual in fact it’s weird. Water, polarized like a magnet has two poles. Two sides of a water molecule have different charges. Negative oxygen electrons and the more positive negative hydrogen electrons. So what difference does that make?

Well, if it weren’t that way, water simply wouldn’t exist. Maybe Mickey Mouse™ will help me explain. Plainly put, his head resembles a water molecule. Two Hydrogen atoms (his ears) attach to a single oxygen atom (his head). It looks that way because the oxygen molecule has a pair of very-very negative electrons, each trying very hard to get away from the other.

Consequently they force the two Hydrogen atoms closer together. Called Hydrogen bonding, which means that water molecules stick together. That’s what makes surface tension.

This shape is extremely important because with this configuration, the stronger negative attraction of the oxygen atom, and the weaker positive attraction of the Hydrogen atoms pulls other molecules together in a (covalent bond) group. The greater the network of molecules, the more water. This means water can interact with itself, but enough of that.

So, what do we do with it? Well, we drink it, wash our cloths and dishes in it, we bathe in it, flush our toilets with it, use it for irrigation and we extinguish fires with it. However, there’s more, so let’s consider its energy related uses.

  • Using Falling Water Energy to produce Electricity
  • For Home Heating
  • For Home Cooling
  • For ordinary Domestic Hot Water
  • Using it as a Heat Exchanger medium
  • Using it Produce Steam
  • Converting it into Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel
  • For Hydrogen and Oxygen Welding
  • For Water Blasting
  • For Water Jet Cutting
  • Hydraulic Mining
  • And to turn Historic Water-Wheels
Overall, the water cycle makes all this possible, and thank goodness, it’s here to stay. Because, without the water cycle, we would be high and dry. Worse yet, none of us would be here.


Links: The Water Cycle, glad its here, hope it sticks around.



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