Runoff
How sun’s energy impacts the processes of the water cycle
What does it mean?
Runoff- water from rain or melted snow that flows along the earth's surface and into a larger body of water.
Can I have an example?
- Water may flow down a mountain to a stream after a rain storm
- When it snows, the melted snow may flow down a hill.
- When it is raining and water is flowing down the street, the grass or any other ground surface
So what would not be runoff?
- Water that flows from a tide pool to the ocean
- Water that lands in a body of water or is already in a body of water
- water evaporating
- water in the clouds
- water falling (precipitation)
- ice
So why is runoff important any way?
Runoff is important because it gives the extra water that would have built up in one place back to plants, animals and bodys of water. Without runoff water would build up in one place and sink into the ground so that animals would not have water and then they would die leaving us with nothing to eat so that we would die.
What does it even effect
Runoff effect how some areas off water get half or more of there water and animals get water from the puddles that the runoff makes. The runoff trails can go to streams where people get there water before it is purified.