Is the water on the shore renewing itself or is it more or less the same?
In: Physics
Fresh water is renewed by the water cycle. Water evaporates from the ocean into the air. When there’s enough water vapor and/or the humid air cools, it condenses back into liquid water forming clouds. If enough water condenses, the droplets become heavy enough to fall back to the ground as rain or snow. This water accumulates into streams, rivers, and similar waterways, feeding into lakes or back into the ocean. The cycle continues perpetually.
Now, there are some nuances. Some of the water seeps into the ground and can become trapped there for a long time. This is where well water comes from. But ground water renews quite slowly, so it’s possible for people to use water faster than it is renewed, drying up the well. Likewise in regions that experience drought, causing potential problems with water supplies in areas that experience below-average precipitation for extended amounts of time. Thus why these regions encourage water conservation. It’s not that the water will disappear forever, but rather that the currently available water may be depleted faster than it is renewed.
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