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The water cycle is a continuous biogeochemical cycle in which water moves between Earth's surface, atmosphere, and subsurface reservoirs.
The water cycle, also called the hydrologic or hydrological cycle, is the continuous movement and transformation of water on, above, and below Earth's surface. Water moves between reservoirs through processes such as evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, sublimation, and subsurface flow. During this cycle, water changes among liquid, solid, and vapor phases, while Earth's total water mass remains relatively constant. The major reservoirs are oceans, glaciers and ice caps, groundwater, lakes, rivers, soil moisture, the atmosphere, and living organisms. Oceans contain about 97% of Earth's water and provide most global evaporation, while ice sheets and glaciers store most of the planet's freshwater. Water may remain in reservoirs for very different lengths of time, from about nine days in the atmosphere to thousands of years in deep groundwater and ice. Solar energy drives evaporation and other phase changes, while gravity drives precipitation, runoff, infiltration, and groundwater movement.
The water cycle is a continuous biogeochemical cycle in which water moves between Earth's surface, atmosphere, and subsurface reservoirs.
Water is stored mainly in oceans, ice sheets and glaciers, groundwater, lakes, rivers, soil moisture, the atmosphere, and living organisms.
The oceans hold approximately 97% of Earth's total water and are the primary source of global evaporation.
Ice sheets, glaciers, and permanent snow contain most of Earth's freshwater, despite representing only a small portion of the planet's total water.
Solar energy powers evaporation and phase changes, while gravity drives precipitation, runoff, infiltration, and subsurface flow.
The continuous movement and transformation of water among Earth's surface, atmosphere, and subsurface reservoirs.
A natural storage location in the water cycle, such as an ocean, glacier, aquifer, lake, river, soil, or the atmosphere.
The combined water system of Earth, including oceans, surface water, groundwater, ice, atmospheric water, and water in living organisms.
The conversion of liquid water into water vapor, mainly caused by solar energy.
The release of water vapor from plants into the atmosphere.
Water that falls from the atmosphere to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, hail, or similar forms.
Water stored beneath Earth's surface in soil, rock, and aquifers.
The average length of time that a water molecule remains in a particular reservoir.
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