The Water Cycle
The water cycle keeps our planet's water moving and usable. It begins with the sun providing energy to evaporate water from oceans, lakes, and soil. This invisible water vapor fills our atmosphere where cooling temperatures cause condensation, turning vapor back into liquid water droplets that form clouds.
When water droplets get heavy enough, they fall as precipitation (rain, snow, sleet). Some water undergoes sublimation, changing directly from ice to vapor without becoming liquid first. When water hits the ground, it can take different paths: infiltration allows water to seep into the ground, recharging groundwater supplies.
Water that doesn't sink in becomes runoff, flowing across land to streams, rivers, and eventually to oceans, where 90% of atmospheric moisture originates. Plants release water through evapotranspiration, combining plant transpiration and surrounding evaporation. This continuous cycle ensures that water is constantly recycled throughout our environment.
Did You Know? A single drop of water might spend over 3,000 years in the ocean before cycling back to land through evaporation and precipitation!