How does condensation work in the water cycle?
Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. As condensation occurs and liquid water forms from the vapor, the water molecules become more organized and heat is released into the atmosphere as a result.
What is the function of condensation?
The role of condensation in the water cycle is to change water vapor into liquid water that can be precipitated to Earth.
How long does it take for water vapor to return to Earth?
A drop of water may spend over 3,000 years in the ocean before evaporating into the air, while a drop of water spends an average of just nine days in the atmosphere before falling back to Earth.
Does water leave the earth?
Earth contains huge quantities of water in its oceans, lakes, rivers, the atmosphere, and believe it or not, in the rocks of the inner Earth. Water, as a vapor in our atmosphere, could potentially escape into space from Earth. But the water doesn’t escape because certain regions of the atmosphere are extremely cold.
What if we ran out of air?
Plants. Like trees, plants feed us and give us the oxygen we breathe—and if they were to run out, humans and animals would starve and suffocate. According to New Scientist, oxygen would remain in the atmosphere for quite a while, but we would run out of food long before we’d run out of air.
What did the Earth look like before oxygen?
Three and a half billion years ago, Earth’s atmosphere contained almost no free oxygen. Instead, it consisted mainly of carbon dioxide, perhaps as much as 100 times more carbon dioxide than contained in today’s atmosphere.
What happens if Earth runs out of trees?
Without trees, formerly forested areas would become drier and more prone to extreme droughts. When rain did come, flooding would be disastrous. Massive erosion would impact oceans, smothering coral reefs and other marine habitats.
How long before we run out of trees?
Alarming new research conducted by Dr Thomas Crowther at Yale University in Connecticut, USA, has predicted that if we continue our current rate of deforestation, the Earth will be completely barren of trees in just over 300 years.