Education: Water Cycle Processes and the Ocean
Water Cycle Poster for Kids (English) | Spanish |
Aquarius/SAC-D Pre-Launch Wall Poster (English) | Spanish |
How Do Water Cycle Processes Relate to the Ocean?
Earth's water cycle is dominated by ocean-atmosphere exchanges: globally, 86% of evaporation and 78% of precipitation
occur over the ocean. Ocean surface salinity is a key tracer for understanding the freshwater fluxes into and out of the ocean
system. This is because some parts of the water cycle decrease salinity (e.g., precipitation, groundwater flow to the ocean,
river runoff) and some parts increase it (e.g., evaporation and freezing of seawater). With Aquarius data, scientists are able
to relate salinity variations to evaporation and precipitation, providing insight into how the ocean responds to seasonal and
annual changes in the water cycle.Featured Movie: Aquarius and the Water Cycle
Hands-On Activities
- Heat Flow and Latent Heat
- Investigating the Earth's Climate System - Energy
- The Water Cycle - Now You See It, Now You Don't
Online Activities
Movies
- The Water Cycle
- Water, Water Everywhere: Condensation & Precipitation
- Water, Water Everywhere: Sun Fuels Evaporation
Podcasts