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Why is water important?

The Earth from space.

Around three-quarters of the Earth is covered in water.

Water is a valuable natural resource. It can be used to water crops and grow food, as drinking water, for washing and even for transporting goods by boat.

In the UK, there are several reservoirs that can capture and hold large volumes of fresh water. This is important for growing settlements.

The Earth from space.
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What is the water cycle?

The water cycle works by using the energy of the Sun to move water from oceans and lakes to the atmosphere, and then back into the oceans again. It does this over and over in a continuous cycle.

What are the steps in the water cycle?

White fluffy clouds in a blue sky.
  • When the Sun shines, it warms water up and turns it into a gas - water vapour. This process is called evaporation.
  • The water vapour rises and collects in the sky as clouds.
White fluffy clouds in a blue sky.
Droplets of rain falling and splashing.
  • The water vapour cools down, condenses and turns back into a liquid. It then falls back to Earth as rain, snow, hail or sleet. These are all types of precipitation.
An aerial photograph of the River Usk in Newport, South Wales.
Image caption,
The River Usk in South Wales.
  • Soils absorb the water and rivers drain the water from the land. This water is called run off. The state of the soil and the type of vegetation influence how fast and heavy the run off is.
  • The water then flows back to the sea or lakes and the cycle starts again.
  • Water never leaves the Earth and its atmosphere. The water we use today has been around for as long as the Earth.
An aerial photograph of the River Usk in Newport, South Wales.
Image caption,
The River Usk in South Wales.
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Watch: The water cycle

Learn more about the water cycle in this 大象传媒 Teach video.

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Did you know?

Kielder reservoir.
Image caption,
Kielder reservoir
  • A monsoon is a seasonal, wet and dry pattern of rain in tropical and sub-tropical regions, particularly in India and parts of South East Asia. Monsoons can involve floods and droughts.
  • Different types of clouds have names. Cumulonimbus clouds are the only type of clouds that can produce thunder, lightning and hailstones.
  • Kielder Water is the biggest reservoir (a human-made lake) in the UK. It is also home to England鈥檚 largest hydroelectric plant.
Kielder reservoir.
Image caption,
Kielder reservoir
Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 6, Several fluffy clouds float against a blue sky , Clouds come in all shapes and sizes - let's have a look at some of the most common kinds of clouds. Did you know that there are lots of different kinds of clouds?
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Watch: Lakes, lochs and reservoirs

Learn more about the lakes in this 大象传媒 Teach video.

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Activity: Quiz 鈥 The water cycle

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