Removing Clouds from the Water Cycle

     How would removing clouds really affect us? What is their purpose? How are they formed? Why are they there? Clouds are a big part of the water cycle. Clouds are in the atmosphere and consist of water that is condensed, making the water into the clouds. Water cycles through the atmosphere, in the clouds and it precipitates, reaching the earth’s surface. It does this by raining, snowing, sleet, or hail, or any other form of water falling from the sky. Once it hits the Earth’s surface, it goes through a process called surface run off into rivers, lakes, oceans or any other body of water. Eventually this water will evaporate or will go through transpiration and return back into the atmosphere to repeat this process over and over again.

     Without clouds (condensation), there would be no storage place in the atmosphere to evaporate or go through transpiration to other than the air which contains water vapor. The water molecules would just cycle through the bodies of water, making it difficult to reach the middle of large land masses without pipes or other ways to travel there without water being underneath the surface.

     Without clouds, there is no precipitation, no rain, no snow, and no more hail. Humidity will still be present since there is water vapor in the air, however. In short, water would not cycle easily or naturally without the use of a variety of different objects such as underground canals or pipes that we have created-unnatural resources.

     This could affect life on in earth in that the water we are used to having may not travel to the places we normally need it, causing nature to suffer, plants to die or force everything to adapt, if able than they have a chance of surviving, but if unable, the chance of going extinct or endangered is increased.

 

This is an example of a freshwater system. This system moves water to different areas without it being cycled in the atmosphere using pipes and other resources that can move water from one place to another.

Resources and Citations

Rosenberg, David M., Patrick McCully, and Catherine M. Pringle. "Environmental Effects of Hydrological Alterations." International Rivers. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012.< http://www.internationalrivers.org/environmental-effects-of-hydrological-alterations>.

 

"Summary of the Water Cycle." The Water Cycle Summary, USGS Water Science School. N.p., 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2012.< http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesummary.html>.