selected pictures
Elements of the Water cycle
The water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle, is the continuous movement of water through the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. It begins with evaporation, where heat from the sun causes water from oceans, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water to transform into vapor and rise into the atmosphere. In addition to evaporation, transpiration occurs as plants release water vapor through small openings in their leaves, contributing further to atmospheric moisture.
As the water vapor rises, it cools and undergoes condensation, turning back into tiny water droplets that form clouds. Once the clouds become dense enough, the water falls to the Earth’s surface as precipitation—this can take the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on the temperature and conditions.
Some of this precipitation infiltrates the soil, replenishing groundwater supplies, where it may then percolate through various soil layers, slowly replenishing underground aquifers. The rest of the water flows across the land as runoff, eventually returning to rivers, lakes, and oceans, completing the cycle.
This dynamic system ensures the constant movement and recycling of water, sustaining ecosystems, agriculture, and human needs across the globe.
My scientific career has focused on modeling the water cycle at various scales. A significant contribution I’ve made is the development of the mesoscale hydrological model, mHM, which is now at the core of several operational systems, including the German Drought Monitor.
Most of the photographs I have are of rivers, a geographical feature closely linked to my earliest memories of playing by the Malacatos River with my father. He not only taught me photography but also introduced me to the world of science.
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