Groundwater and the Hydrologic Cycle Essay -- Geology

Ground piss and the Hydrologic Cycle IntroductionWater is the lifeblood of every living creature on earth. Approximately 70 percent of the earths surface is covered with irrigate. Thought the wonders of nature, weewee supply can take on many different forms, form the weewee we drink, to the ice we use to chill a glass of lemonade, to the piddle vaporization used to steam clean equipment equipment. It is easy to understand the significance water plays in our lives, but it may be much more intemperate ot understand the water that exists below the earths surface, called groundwater.From the time the earth was formed, water ache been endlessly circulating. This circulation is known as the hydrologic cycle. Groundwater is part of this continuous cycle as water thaws, forms clouds and returns to earth as hardihood.The Hydrologic CycleThe hydrologic cycle begins with the water vaporization from the earths soil, give and water surfaces to form water vapor. The energy requir ed to evaporate water is supplied by the sun. The vast majority of evaporation occurs from the oceans. It is estimated that 39 inches of water annually evaporate from each acre of ocean.Water vapor is drawn into the halo by temperature gradients and can be transported over hundreds of miles by large breeze masses. When water vapor cools, it condenses to form clouds. As water condenses within clouds, water droplets increase in size until they fall to the earths surface as precipitation such as rainfall, hail, sleet or snow.Approximately 70-90 percent of the water that falls to the earths surface enters the soil. This water can become groundwater but near of it evaporates or is used by vegetation.Water that passes though the root order ... ...ment levels (Florida Aquifer).Floridas growing creation, now fourth in the nation, is placing a heavy subscribe to on the states water supply. The addition of 6,000 new residents each week has change magnitude the use of water for d irect human needs to more than 60 million gallons per day.Florida rainfall averages 54 inches per year, or nearly 150 cardinal gallons of water a day. Unfortunately, an estimated 110 billion gallons is lost to evaporation and plant life consumption.The southern 50 percent of Florida receives only 44 percent of the states natural water supply, yet is home to 78 percent of the population and accounts for 75 percent of the states total water use (Groundwater Withdraw).The largest consumer of water is the floriculture industry, using 42 percent. Homes, offices and hotels consume 11 percent. The rest is consumed by some other industries.