Reflections on the Effectiveness of Animations in the Film Earth's Water Cycle

The documentary Earth’s Water Cycle, published by NASA on August 3'“, 2012 is a six-minute animated film on how the water cycle works. This documentary packs a wealth of important information into five minutes. Humans know that they need water to survive. however, do they understand the cycle of how we get our water? The documentary states that 97% of earth‘s water is salt-water, and only 3% of earth water is fresh water. Water availability not only affects humans, but it also affects vegetation and animal life the animated visuals used in this documentary help the viewer understand the water cycle and make the film more effective and relatable.

Throughout the documentary, there are many animations that help the viewer understand the water cycle, and how it works.

The film starts with the animation of the globe, showing all the water on land, and how only 3% of that water can be used by humans. The documentary then demonstrates an animation of water transitioning from one state to another.

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This aids the viewer to get a better understanding of the transition of evaporation, evapotranspiration, and condensation. During evaporation, the documentary shows water rising up from the body of wateri during evapotranspiration, there is water rising from the trees, and during condensation, there is an animation of clouds in the sky. The documentary then takes the viewers to an animation of the earth and how temperatures and wind increase evaporation.

This animation shows that when the air‘s temperature is warmer, it can hold more water.

The documentary then goes on to describe the formation of clouds and how they are formed. The animation of clouds and storms help to show the viewer exactly how storms grow and intensify due to the atmospheric moisture, the pattern of the winds, and the surface temperature. I have always believed that people, including me do not respect our water supply. After watching this documentary and trying to comprehend that the earth only has 3% of fresh water, I know I do not respect it enough. Watching the animation of the globe, and seeing 97% of the water is salt-water, it puts things into perspective.

With the help of the animation in this documentary, I became more aware of our earth water cycle, and how it works. I think it is important for the human race to watch this video and understand the distribution, and the sustainability of Earth‘s water. Water is an important part of our lives, and something we take for granted until we do not have it, a typical person thinks that we have a plentiful supply of water, when that is not always so. Water availability varies from place to place and over time. This availability of water affects the type and abundance of vegetation, the primary source of food for animals and people. Extreme water cycle variability, unusually dry or wet conditions, impacts humans worldwide. With the help of the animations in this documentary, I believe that everyone will leave with a better sense of knowledge and respect for the water we use.