When considering all the continents together, is the water that evaporates from them the same, less than, or equal to the amount that precipitates upon them? If this amount is not equal, what happens to the difference between precipitaiton and evaporation?
2007-02-13 16:23:33 · 3 answers · asked by Tialiarhetta 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It is not necessarily the same. Though it could be.
THe difference between them is stored in natural reservoirs. ie: lakes, oceans, ponds, rivers, aquifers... etc...
2007-02-13 16:27:12 · answer #1 · answered by Michael Dino C 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For the precipitation and evaporation to be equal, all the precipitation would have to cycle back to the atmosphere. However, look at the vast amount of water that pours out of rivers into the oceans and gulfs. That water was precipitation on the continents, but it ran off the land into the rivers and traveled to the ocean without evaporating.
2007-02-13 16:29:46 · answer #2 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amount that evaporates is less. The difference is handled by rivers that flow into the ocean and water soaked into aquifers
2007-02-13 16:37:17 · answer #3 · answered by Michael da Man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋