Water and how it Works
Water is an incredibly important aspect of our daily lives. Every day we drink water, cook with water, bathe in water, and participate in many other activities involving water, like rafting. However, even with all of the importance water holds in our lives, many of us know very little about the water we use each day.
Since humans first settled along the banks of lakes and rivers, there has been great interest in the appropriate management of fresh water resources both as a necessity for life as well as to avoid potential health hazards. It was along the Indus in Pakistan, to the Hwang Ho in China, and the Nile in Egypt in which the first hydraulic discoveries like canals, levees, dams, subsurface water conduits, and wells were known as early as 5000-6000 years ago. The study of water became vital to these early civilizations. Egyptians were the first to observe and records the flow rates and yields of rivers about 3800 years ago, and Kautilya of India produced the first rainfall measuring instruments around 2400 years ago.
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. The term “hydrology” arrived in its current meaning around 1750, and by 1800 the work of English physicist and chemist John Dalton solidified the current understanding of the global hydrologic cycle.
The Hydraulic cycle is a simple process that is divided into five parts: Condensation, Infiltration, Runoff, Evaporation, and Precipitation. The process begins with condensation, when water vapor condenses in the atmosphere to form clouds. Condensation is a repercussion of earth temperature changes. Water fluctuates when temperatures fluctuate. So when the air is cool enough, water vapor condenses creating particles in the air to create clouds. This can be seen on plants in the morning, they are covered in dew. Once formed, winds move the clouds across the globe, secreting the water vapor. The clouds soon become too full of water which is released in in the form of precipitation: rain, snow, hail, etc, for example.
The next three stages: infiltration, runoff, and evaporation all occur at the same time. Infiltration occurs when precipitation seeps into the ground. This is highly dependent on the toughness of the ground.
Permeability is the measure of how easily something flows through something else. High permeability means more precipitation seeps into the ground. If precipitation occurs faster than it can seep into the ground, it then becomes runoff. Runoff stays on the surface and enters streams, rivers, and eventually lakes or the ocean. The water that seeped underground moves similarly as it refills rivers and keeps forward to larger bodies of water. At the same time, the sun is an integral to the cycle by causing evaporation. Evaporation is when liquid water turns into a vapor. Sunlight promotes this process as it raises the temperature of liquid water in oceans and lakes. As the liquid heats, molecules are released and change into a gas. Warm air rises up into the atmosphere and becomes the vapor in the condensation section of the process.
It is amazing the water supply has survived as long as it has. The hydrologic cycle continues to move water and keep sources fresh. It is estimated that 100 million billion gallons a year are cycled through this process. Without the water cycle, life on Earth would not be possible. We need this cycle to remain a flourishing one so all of our life processes remain functioning.
Mad River is a river outfitter based in Jackson WY. Our experienced guides are trained and will keep you safe while showing you a great time during one of our many scenic floats or exhilarating white water rafting trip packages.
