The Water Cycle
The water cycle, also called the hydrological cycle, is the way water moves all around our planet. It shows how water changes from one form to another and how it travels from the ground to the sky and back again.
Understanding the water cycle helps us see why water is so important for life on Earth.
1. Evaporation
Evaporation is when water turns from a liquid into a gas. This happens when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, and oceans. When the water gets warm enough, it changes into water vapor and rises into the air. You can see this when steam rises from hot water or when puddles dry up on a sunny day.
2. Condensation
After the water vapor rises into the sky, it cools down as it goes higher. When it cools, it changes back into tiny drops of liquid water. This process is called condensation. You can see condensation when dew forms on grass in the morning or when your bathroom mirror fogs up after a hot shower. These tiny drops come together to make clouds.
3. Precipitation
When clouds get too heavy with water drops, they release that water back to the ground as precipitation. Precipitation can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This step is very important because it gives us fresh water for drinking and helps plants grow.
4. Infiltration
After it rains or snows, some of that water soaks into the ground through a process called infiltration. This water goes into the soil and helps plants get the moisture they need to grow. The amount of water that soaks in depends on what kind of soil it is and how much water is already there.
5. Runoff
Not all of the rainwater soaks into the ground; some of it flows over land as runoff. This runoff collects in rivers, lakes, and oceans, bringing us back to where we started in the cycle. Runoff is important because it helps move nutrients and supports animals that live in these bodies of water.