9: The Hydrosphere
- Page ID
- 42693
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Water is a critical element that sustains life and drives a variety of environmental processes acting within the Earth system. Though the hydrosphere includes all the water in the earth system, water flows between all the other subsystems of the Earth. In this chapter we'll explore how water is cycled through and its impact on the Earth system.
- 9.2: The Hydrologic Cycle
- The hydrologic cycle, or water cycle, is the cycling of water through the earth system. Not only is the hydrologic cycle a cycle of water, it is a cycle of energy as well. Over the next several pages we'll trace water as it passes through the earth system and the energy that accompanies it.