short presentation on water cycle

What Is the Water Cycle?

Water can be found all over Earth in the ocean, on land and in the atmosphere. The water cycle is the path that all water follows as it moves around our planet.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Data source: NASA's Earth Observatory

On Earth, you can find water in all three states of matter: solid , liquid and gas . Liquid water is found in Earth’s oceans, rivers, lakes, streams—and even in the soil and underground. Solid ice is found in glaciers , snow, and at the North and South Poles . Water vapor—a gas—is found in Earth’s atmosphere.

How does water travel from a glacier to the ocean to a cloud? That’s where the water cycle comes in.

The Water Cycle

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Sun’s heat causes glaciers and snow to melt into liquid water. This water goes into oceans, lakes and streams. Water from melting snow and ice also goes into the soil. There, it supplies water for plants and the groundwater that we drink.

Snow falling on a glacier during winter months usually replaces any water that melts away in the summer. However, due to Earth’s overall warming , most glaciers today are losing more ice than they regain, causing them to shrink over time.

How does water get into the atmosphere? There are two main ways this happens:

• Heat from the Sun causes water to evaporate from oceans, lakes and streams. Evaporation occurs when liquid water on Earth’s surface turns into water vapor in our atmosphere.
• Water from plants and trees also enters the atmosphere. This is called transpiration .

Warm water vapor rises up through Earth’s atmosphere. As the water vapor rises higher and higher, the cool air of the atmosphere causes the water vapor to turn back into liquid water, creating clouds. This process is called condensation .

When a cloud becomes full of liquid water, it falls from the sky as rain or snow—also known as precipitation . Rain and snow then fill lakes and streams, and the process starts all over again.

Clouds, like these over the savannah in Nairobi, Kenya, form when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses back into liquid water. Credit: Department of State

Why Do We Care About the Water Cycle?

We care about the water cycle because water is necessary for all living things. NASA satellites orbiting Earth right now are helping us to understand what is happening with water on our planet.

Water in the Soil

Humans need water to drink, and to water the plants that grow our food. NASA has a satellite called SMAP —short for Soil Moisture Active Passive —that measures how much water is in the top 2 inches (5 cm) of Earth’s soil . This can help us understand the relationship between water in the soil and severe weather conditions, such as droughts.

Water in the Atmosphere

NASA’s CloudSat mission studies water in our atmosphere in the form of clouds. CloudSat gathers information about clouds and how they play a role in Earth’s climate. Also, the international satellite called the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) observes when, where and how much it rains and snows on Earth.

Water in the Oceans

As Earth’s climate becomes warmer, land ice at the North and South Poles starts melting. The water then flows into the ocean, causing sea level to rise. NASA’s Jason-3 mission—short for Joint Altimetry Satellite Oceanography Network-3 —orbits Earth collecting information about sea level and ocean temperature. This helps track how the ocean responds to Earth’s changing climate.

NASA is also tracking how Earth’s water moves all around our planet. This is the work of the GRACE-FO —or Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Follow On —mission. It tracks the movement of water from one month to the next, and can even measure changes in deep groundwater hundreds of feet below Earth’s surface.

NASA’s Aqua satellite also collects a large amount of information about Earth’s water cycle, including water in the oceans, clouds, sea ice, land ice and snow cover.

Related NASA Missions

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Education home
• About NOAA Education
• NOAA in your backyard: Alaska
• NOAA in your backyard: Caribbean
• NOAA in your backyard: Central
• NOAA in your backyard: Great Lakes
• NOAA in your backyard: Gulf of Mexico
• NOAA in your backyard: Mid-Atlantic
• NOAA in your backyard: Northeast
• NOAA in your backyard: Northwest
• NOAA in your backyard: Pacific Islands
• NOAA in your backyard: Southeast
• NOAA in your backyard: Southwest
• Educational mailing lists
• Oct-Dec 2023
• Jul-Sep 2023
• Apr-Jun 2023
• Jan-Mar 2023
• NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database
• Ocean acidification
• Ocean currents
• Ocean floor features
• Ocean pollution and marine debris
• El Niño and La Niña
• Space weather
• Weather observations
• Weather systems & patterns
• Carbon cycle
• Changing seasons
• Climate change impacts
• Climate data monitoring
• Aquatic food webs
• Coral reef ecosystems
• Fisheries and seafood
• Life in an estuary
• Marine mammals
• Sea turtles
• Great Lakes ecoregion

Water cycle

• Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
• Data resources for educators
• Education at home
• Elementary resources
• Hands-on science activities
• Special topics
• Conference resources
• About the education resource collections
• Conservation Service Corp Act Direct Hiring Authority
• Educator opportunities
• Grants & networks
• News and stories

Keep exploring

Find even more resources on the water cycle in our searchable resource database.

The water cycle is often taught as a simple circular cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Although this can be a useful model, the reality is much more complicated. The paths and influences of water through Earth’s ecosystems are extremely complex and not completely understood. NOAA is striving to expand understanding of the water cycle at global to local scales to improve our ability to forecast weather, climate, water resources, and ecosystem health.

The water cycle. (Image credit: Dennis Cain/NWS)

The water cycle on Earth

Water is essential to life on Earth. In its three phases (solid, liquid, and gas), water ties together the major parts of the Earth’s climate system — air, clouds, the ocean, lakes, vegetation, snowpack offsite link , and glaciers offsite link .

The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow. Water in different phases moves through the atmosphere (transportation). Liquid water flows across land (runoff), into the ground (infiltration and percolation), and through the ground (groundwater). Groundwater moves into plants (plant uptake) and evaporates from plants into the atmosphere (transpiration). Solid ice and snow can turn directly into gas (sublimation). The opposite can also take place when water vapor becomes solid (deposition).

See how NOAA science is safeguarding lives, economies, and a healthy water supply.

Water, society, and ecology

Water influences the intensity of climate variability and change. It is the key part of extreme events such as drought and floods . Its abundance and timely delivery are critical for meeting the needs of society and ecosystems.

Humans use water for drinking, industrial applications, irrigating agriculture, hydropower, waste disposal, and recreation. It is important that water sources are protected both for human uses and ecosystem health. In many areas, water supplies are being depleted because of population growth, pollution, and development. These stresses have been made worse by climate variations and changes that affect the hydrologic cycle.

A series of atmospheric rivers starting in late December 2022 through mid-January 2023 dropped feet of rain and snow across California and other parts of the West Coast.

Water and climate change

Climate change is affecting where, when, and how much water is available. Extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy precipitation , which are expected to increase as climate changes, can impact water resources. A lack of adequate water supplies, flooding, or degraded water quality impacts civilization — now and throughout history. These challenges can affect the economy, energy production and use, human health, transportation, agriculture, national security, natural ecosystems , and recreation.

An airborne mission finds a global belt of particle formation is making clouds brighter.

EDUCATION CONNECTION

The water cycle impacts ecosystems, economies, and our daily lives. The resources in this collection help teachers guide their students beyond the classic water cycle diagram and through the complex social and environmental issues that surround water. The water cycle provides the opportunity to explore the nature of science using models and empirical evidence. 

Hydrologic Cycle

The water cycle describes how water is exchanged (cycled) through Earth's land, ocean, and atmosphere.

Earth Science, Meteorology, Geography, Physical Geography, Geology

Loading ...

The  water cycle  describes how water is exchanged (cycled) through Earth's land, ocean, and atmosphere. Water always exists in all three phases, and in many forms—as  lakes and  rivers ,  glaciers and  ice sheets , oceans and seas, underground  aquifers , and  vapor  in the air and clouds .

Evaporation , Condensation , and Precipitation

The water cycle consists of three major processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

Evaporation

Evaporation is the process of a liquid's surface changing to a gas. In the water cycle, liquid water (in the ocean, lakes, or rivers) evaporates and becomes water vapor.

Water vapor surrounds us, as an important part of the air we breathe. Water vapor is also an important  greenhouse gas . Greenhouse gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide  insulate Earth and keep the planet warm enough to maintain life as we know it. Increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere also contribute to global warming.

The water cycle 's e vaporation process is driven by the sun. As the sun interacts with liquid water on the surface of the ocean, the water becomes an invisible gas (water vapor ). E vaporation is also influenced by  wind ,  temperature , and the  density  of the body of water.

Condensation

Condensation is the process of a gas changing to a liquid. In the water cycle, water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and becomes liquid.

Condensation can happen high in the atmosphere or at ground level.  Clouds form as water vapor condenses, or becomes more concentrated (dense). Water vapor condenses around tiny particles called  cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) . CCN can be specks of dust, salt, or  pollutants . Clouds at ground level are called  fog  or mist.

Like e vaporation , condensation is also influenced by the sun. As water vapor cools, it reaches its saturation limit, or  dew point .  Air pressure  is also an important influence on the dew point of an area.

Precipitation

As is the case with evaporation and condensation, precipitation is a process. Precipitation describes any liquid or solid water that falls to Earth as a result of condensation in the atmosphere. Precipitation includes rain, snow, and hail.

Fog is not precipitation. The water in fog does not condense sufficiently to precipitate, or liquefy and fall to Earth. Fog and mist are a part of the water cycle called suspensions: They are liquid water suspended in the atmosphere.

Precipitation is one of many ways water is cycled from the atmosphere to the earth or ocean.

Other Processes

Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation are important parts of the water cycle. However, they are not the only ones.

Runoff , for instance, describes a variety of ways liquid water moves across land.  Snowmelt , for example, is an important type of runoff produced as snow or glaciers melt and form streams or pools.

Transpiration  is another important part of the water cycle . Transpiration is the process of water vapor being released from plants and soil. Plants release water vapor through  microscopic   pores called  stomata . The opening of stomata is strongly influenced by light, and so is often associated with the sun and the process of e vaporation .  Evapotranspiration  is the combined components of e vaporation and transpiration , and is sometimes used to evaluate the movement of water in the atmosphere.

States of Water

Through the water cycle, water continually circulates through three states: solid, liquid, and vapor.

Ice is solid water. Most of Earth's fresh water is ice, locked in massive glaciers, ice sheets, and ice caps .

As ice melts, it turns to liquid. The ocean, lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers all hold liquid water.

Water vapor is an invisible gas. Water vapor is not evenly distributed across the atmosphere. Above the ocean, water vapor is much more abundant, making up as much as four percent of the air. Above isolated deserts, it can be less than one percent.

The Water Cycle and Climate

The water cycle has a dramatic influence on Earth's climate and  ecosystems .

Climate is all the  weather  conditions of an area, evaluated over a period of time. Two weather conditions that contribute to climate include humidity and temperature . These weather conditions are influenced by the water cycle .

Humidity is simply the amount of water vapor in the air. As water vapor is not evenly distributed by the water cycle, some regions experience higher humidity than others. This contributes to radically different climates. Islands or coastal regions, where water vapor makes up more of the atmosphere, are usually much more humid than inland regions, where water vapor is scarcer.

A region's temperature also relies on the water cycle . Through the water cycle , heat is exchanged and temperatures   fluctuate . As water e vaporates , for example, it absorbs energy and cools the local environment. As water condenses, it releases energy and warms the local environment.

The Water Cycle and the Landscape

The water cycle also influences the  physical geography  of Earth. Glacial melt and  erosion  caused by water are two of the ways the water cycle helps create Earth's physical features.

As glaciers slowly expand across a landscape , they can carve away entire  valleys , create mountain peaks, and leave behind rubble as big as boulders. Yosemite Valley , part of Yosemite National Park in the U.S. state of California, is a  glacial valley . The famous Matterhorn, a peak on the Alps between Switzerland and Italy, was carved as glaciers collided and squeezed up the earth between them. Canada's "Big Rock" is one of the world's largest " glacial erratics ," boulders left behind as a glacier advances or retreats.

Glacial melt can also create  landforms . The  Great Lakes , for example, are part of the landscape of the Midwest of the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes were created as an enormous ice sheet melted and retreated, leaving liquid pools.

The process of erosion and the movement of runoff also create varied landscapes across Earth's surface. Erosion is the process by which earth is worn away by liquid water, wind, or ice.

Erosion can include the movement of runoff. The flow of water can help carve enormous canyons, for example. These canyons can be carved by rivers on high plateaus (such as the Grand Canyon, on the Colorado Plateau in the U.S. state of Arizona). They can also be carved by  currents deep in the ocean (such as the Monterey Canyon, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the U.S. state of California).

Reservoirs and Residence Time

Reservoirs are simply where water exists at any point in the water cycle. An underground aquifer can store liquid water, for example. The ocean is a reservoir. Ice sheets are reservoirs. The atmosphere itself is a reservoir of water vapor.

Residence time  is the amount of time a water molecule spends in one reservoir. For instance, the residence time of "fossil water," ancient  groundwater  reservoirs, can be thousands of years.

Residence time for water in the Antarctic ice sheet is about 17,000 years. That means that a molecule of water will stay as ice for about that amount of time.

The residence time for water in the ocean is much shorter—about 3,200 years.

The residence time of water in the atmosphere is the shortest of all—about nine days.

Calculating residence time can be an important tool for developers and engineers. Engineers may consult a reservoir's residence time when evaluating how quickly a pollutant will spread through the reservoir, for instance. Residence time may also influence how communities use an aquifer.

Breaking the Cycle The water cycle can change. Glacial retreat is the process in which glaciers melt faster than their ice can be replaced by precipitation. Glacial retreat limits the amount of fresh water available on Earth. We are experiencing the fastest rate of glacial retreat in recorded history.

Articles & Profiles

Media credits.

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Biology library

Course: biology library   >   unit 28.

• Intro to biogeochemical cycles
• Biogeochemical cycles overview

The water cycle

• The carbon cycle
• The nitrogen cycle
• The phosphorus cycle
• Phosphorus cycle
• Eutrophication and dead zones
• Biogeochemical cycles

Want to join the conversation?

• Upvote Button navigates to signup page
• Downvote Button navigates to signup page
• Flag Button navigates to signup page

Video transcript

• Why Does Water Expand When It Freezes
• Gold Foil Experiment
• Faraday Cage
• Oil Drop Experiment
• Magnetic Monopole
• Why Do Fireflies Light Up
• Types of Blood Cells With Their Structure, and Functions
• The Main Parts of a Plant With Their Functions
• Parts of a Flower With Their Structure and Functions
• Parts of a Leaf With Their Structure and Functions
• Why Does Ice Float on Water
• Why Does Oil Float on Water
• How Do Clouds Form
• What Causes Lightning
• How are Diamonds Made
• Types of Meteorites
• Types of Volcanoes
• Types of Rocks

Water Cycle

What is the water cycle.

Water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, involves a series of stages that show the continuous movement and interchange of water between its three phases – solid, liquid, and gas, in the earth’s atmosphere. The sun acts as the primary source of energy that powers   the   water cycle on earth. Bernard Palissy discovered the modern theory of the water cycle in 1580 CE.

Steps of the Water Cycle: How does it Work

1. Change from Liquid to Gaseous Phase – Evaporation and Transpiration

The heat of the sun causes water from the surface of water bodies such as oceans, streams, and lakes to evaporate into water vapor in the atmosphere. Plants also contribute to the water cycle when water gets evaporated from the aerial parts of the plant , such as leaves and stems by the process of transpiration.

2. Change from Solid to Gaseous Phase – Sublimation

Due to dry winds, low humidity, and low air pressure, snow present on the mountains change directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase by a process known as sublimation.

3. Change from Gaseous to Liquid Phase – Condensation

The invisible water vapor formed through evaporation, transpiration, and sublimation rises through the atmosphere, while cool air rushes to take its place. This is the process of condensation that allows water vapor to transform back into liquid, which is then stored in the form of clouds.

Sometimes, a sudden drop in atmospheric temperature helps the water vapors to condense into tiny droplets of water that remain suspended in the air. These suspended water droplets get mixed with bits of dust in the air, resulting in fog.

4. Change from Gaseous to Liquid and Solid Phase – Precipitation and Deposition         

Wind movements cause the water-laden clouds   to collide and fall back on the earth’s surface through precipitation, simply known as rain. The water that evaporated in the first stage thus returns into different water bodies on the earth’s surface, including the ocean, rivers, ponds, and lakes. In regions with extremely cold climate with sub-zero temperatures, the water vapor changes directly into frost and snow bypassing the liquid phase, causing snowfall in high altitudes by a process known as the deposition. 

5. Return of the water back into the underground reserve – Runoff, Infiltration, Percolation, and Collection

The water that falls back on the earth’s surface moves between the layers of soil and rocks and is accumulated as the underground water reserves known as aquifers. This process is further assisted by earthquakes, which help the underground water to reach the mantle of the earth. Some amount of precipitated water flows down the sides of mountains and hills to reach the water bodies, which again evaporates into the atmosphere. During volcanic eruptions, the underground water returns to the surface of the earth, where it mixes with the surface water bodies in order to continue the cycle.

Video: Water Cycle Explained

Why is the water cycle important.

The most crucial and direct impacts of the above process on earth include:

• Making fresh water available to plants and animals, including humans, by purifying the groundwater on earth. During the water cycle, the water evaporates, leaving behind all the sediments and other dust particles. Similarly, for the sustenance of marine life, the saline range of all salt water bodies is kept within a certain permissible limit through infiltration. 
• Allowing even distribution of water on all surfaces of the earth. Water is temporarily stored as clouds in the atmosphere, whereas surface water bodies such as rivers and oceans, together with underground water, form the major permanent water reserves. 
• Causing a cooling effect on earth due to evaporation of water from surface water bodies, which help to form clouds that eventually precipitate down in the form of rain. This way water cycle affects the weather and climate of the earth.
• Ensuring some other biogeochemical cycles , including those concerning oxygen and phosphorus, to continue in nature.
• Cleaning the atmosphere by taking-away dust particles, shoot, and bacteria , thus acting as a means to purify the air we breathe.

Human Impact on Water Cycle

Human activities adversely affect the water cycle in the two following ways:

a) Deforestation : Plants play an important role in the water cycle by preventing soil erosion and thus helps to increase the groundwater level of the earth. Also, plants contribute by absorbing water from the soil, which is then released back to the atmosphere during transpiration. Deforestation adversely affects both the above processes, thus breaking the flow of the water cycle.

b) Pollution : Burning of fossil fuels acts as the major source of air pollution releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere, leading to the formation of smog and acid rain . Water from farmlands run off to the nearest water bodies carrying chemicals such as insecticides and pesticides along with them, thus causing water pollution. The presence of excessive contaminants in the atmosphere and water bodies decreases the evaporation and condensation on earth, thus adversely affecting the water cycle.

Ans. Cellular respiration is the process by which organisms take up oxygen in order to breathe and digest food. Water is utilized for breaking large molecules that release energy in the form of ATP , while in a subsequent step the water molecules are released back into the cell, which in turn returns to the atmosphere, thus affecting the water cycle.

Ans. Rivers contain more water than streams and thus contribute more to the formation of water vapor through evaporation compared to a stream.

• Water Cycle – Britannica.com
• The Water Cycle – Khanacademy.org
• Water Cycle – Noaa.gov
• What Is The Hydrologic Cycle? – Worldatlas.com
• What is the Water Cycle? – Earth.com
• The Water Cycle – Coastgis.marsci.uga.edu

Article was last reviewed on Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Related articles

One response to “Water Cycle”

The first part of the water cycle is of course evaporation and transportation, but I don’t want to focus on that, I want to focus on the 2nd step which is sublimation. Sublimation is when snow or hail, or sleet falls down on a mountain and it quickly turns into water vapor by passing the liquid phase.Now lets skip to the last phase which is RIPC

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Popular Articles

Join our Newsletter

Fill your E-mail Address

Related Worksheets

• Privacy Policy

© 2024 ( Science Facts ). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

• Skip to main content
• Skip to navigation

• Back to parent navigation item
• Collections
• Sustainability in chemistry
• Simple rules
• Teacher well-being hub
• Women in chemistry
• Global science
• Escape room activities
• Decolonising chemistry teaching
• Teaching science skills
• Post-lockdown teaching support
• Get the print issue
• RSC Education

• More from navigation items

Source: © Dan Bright

The water cycle

• No comments

Introduce the processes and the importance of the cycle to your 11–14 students with this poster and classroom activities

Materials are transported around the Earth in enormous cycles, driven by the Sun, gravity and life itself. Alongside the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle and rock cycle, the water cycle contributes to the ever-changing face of our planet.

Without the water cycle , we wouldn’t have water to drink, food to eat or materials to build our homes. The water cycle describes the movement of 500 trillion tonnes of water around the Earth every year. Water on Earth is present as all three states of matter – solid, liquid and gas – and is continually going through physical state changes including evaporation, condensation, freezing and melting.

Download this

Infographic poster, fact sheet, worksheet, structure strip and teacher notes. Display the poster in your classroom or on a projector. Alternatively, print it and use it as a handout.

Use the accompanying fact sheet and worksheet to get your 11–14 students constructing their own model of the water cycle. Follow up with a long-answer question to check understanding and consider the water cycle in the context of chemistry, physics, biology and geography.

• Poster as pdf
• Fact sheet as MS Word or pdf
• Construct a model of the water cycle student worksheet as  MS Word  or  pdf
• Construct a model of the water cycle teacher notes and answers as  MS Word  or  pdf
• Movement of water structure strip as  MS Word  or  pdf
• Movement of water structure strip teacher notes as  MS Word  or  pdf

DOWNLOAD ALL

Evaporation – the Earth’s surface absorbs energy from the Sun , causing an increase in the rate of evaporation of surface water forming water vapour

Condensation – as the warm moist air rises through the cooler denser air above, the water vapour condenses, forming tiny water droplets which eventually form clouds

Precipitation – when the water droplets are large enough, they fall back to the Earth’s surface as rain , sleet or snow

Runoff – some of the water will run over the Earth’s surface , via streams and rivers , back to the sea

Percolation – some water will travel through the soil and rocks . It can remain as groundwater , transport back to the oceans , or be absorbed by plants

Transpiration – water is absorbed by plants via their roots and can be released as water vapour via their leaves, adding to the water vapour directly evaporating from the oceans

Did you know … ?

There are about 1.4 billion cubic kilometres of water on Earth, mostly found as a liquid in the oceans and other bodies of water (98.2%).

Evaporation and condensation

These processes can be seen in our everyday lives and are essential processes in the manufacture of everyday products.

Anywhere in the home where we use hot water, evaporation rates are high and there is lots of steam . Boiling pasta increases the concentration of water vapour in the kitchen. If we don’t use a good extractor fan or open the windows wide, the water vapour will condense on cool surfaces, especially windows and we end up with droplets of liquid water .

Teaching 11–14 students?

Then you might also like this poster, fact sheet and board game on the rock cycle .

If you want to make petrol from crude oil, alcoholic spirits from brewed liquids or flavourings for foods and perfumes, you need to use distillation . By collecting the evaporated components of a heated mixture, you can condense them back to liquids to separate fractions of the whole – we call this fractional distillation . Last year, some £30 billion worth of perfume was sold worldwide and chemists are at the centre of the whole development and production process.

Solid water  can be found on Earth as  ice  and  snow , mainly at the planet’s poles, and at the top of mountains.

Runoff and percolation

Water flowing over and through rocks changes the face of the planet and provides spectacular sights. Over millions of years, the Colorado river has been carving a path through Arizona, US, forming the Grand Canyon – a channel up to 29 kilometres wide and in places over 1800 metres deep. Water percolating through the rocks of the Peak District dissolves positive and negative ions out of the rocks. The water is collected, bottled and sold as Buxton Spring Water.

Water also transfers into the Earth’s mantle when tectonic plates get pushed under each other. This water will eventually re-emerge when volcanoes erupt!

More resources

• Use pollution in the water cycle as a context for teaching 7–9 year olds about seasonal changes with sustainability contexts for primary science.
• Add sustainable management of water to your existing lessons with these activities linked to UN Sustainable development goal 6.
• Boost your 11–14 students’ knowledge and understanding of evaporation with this poster, fact sheet and practical activity .
• Meet a laboratory ana lyst who helps ensure there is clean, safe, water for 15 million people in the UK while studying towards his chemistry degree.

All illustrations © Dan Bright  

Construct a model of the water cycle – student sheet

Construct a model of the water cycle – teacher notes, movement of water structure strip, movement of water structure strip – teacher notes, water cycle – fact sheet, water cycle – infographic poster.

More from David Paterson

Use AI to successfully assess students’ understanding

Everything you need to teach energetics at 14–16

Banish misconceptions with digital whiteboards

• Comprehension skills
• Environmental science
• evaporation
• Natural resources
• percolation
• precipitation
• water cycle

Related articles

How to teach extraction of metals at 14–16

2024-04-09T07:20:00Z By Niall Begley

Solidify learners’ understanding of extraction processes with these tips, misconception busters and teaching ideas

Enzymes make dyeing denim more sustainable

2024-04-05T08:06:00Z By Nina Notman

Can researchers find a way to make jeans blue without using toxic chemicals?

Crime-busting chemical analysis

2024-02-26T05:00:00Z By Kit Chapman

From dog detectives to AI, discover the cutting-edge advances in forensic science 

No comments yet

Only registered users can comment on this article., more from infographics.

Mastering titration apparatus

2024-05-07T08:38:00Z By Kristy Turner

Use this poster, fact sheet and classroom activity to show learners the names and uses of equipment they’ll encounter in this practical 

Teaching Earth’s resources

2024-03-04T07:28:00Z By Harry Lord

Everything you need to help your 11–14 learners grasp the importance of finite and renewable resources

Everything you need to teach addition polymerisation

2024-01-08T06:00:00Z By Duncan Short

Use this poster, fact sheet and classroom activity to ensure your 14–16 learners get to grips with addition polymers

• Contributors
• Print issue
• Email alerts

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

• Biology Article

Water Cycle

What is the Water Cycle? Water Cycle Diagram Stages of Water Cycle Implications of Water Cycle Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Water Cycle?

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

Water Cycle Diagram

During this process, water changes its state from one phase to another, but the total number of water particles remains the same. In other words, if it were possible to collect and boil 100 gms of water, it will still retain a mass of 100 gms as steam. Likewise, if 100 gms of steam is collected and condensed, the resultant water would still weight 100 gms.

Water changes its state through a variety of processes from evaporation, melting and freezing, to sublimation, condensation, and deposition. All these changes require the application of energy.

Stages of Water Cycle

There are many processes involved in the movement of water apart from the major steps given in the above water cycle diagram. Listed below are different stages of the water cycle.

1. Evaporation

The sun is the ultimate source of energy, and it powers most of the evaporation that occurs on earth. Evaporation generally happens when water molecules at the surface of water bodies become excited and rise into the air. These molecules with the highest kinetic energy accumulate into water vapour clouds. Evaporation usually takes place below the boiling point of water. Another process called evapotranspiration occurs when evaporation occurs through the leaves of plants. This process contributes to a large percentage of water in the atmosphere.

2. Sublimation

Sublimation occurs when snow or ice changes directly into water vapour without becoming water. It usually occurs as a result of dry winds and low humidity. Sublimation can be observed on mountain peaks, where the air pressure is quite low. The low air pressure helps to sublimate the snow into water vapour as less energy is utilised in the process. Another example of sublimation is the phase where fog bellows from dry ice. On earth, the primary source of sublimation is from the ice sheets covering the poles of the earth.

3. Condensation

The water vapour that accumulated in the atmosphere eventually cools down due to the low temperatures found at high altitudes. These vapours become tiny droplets of water and ice, eventually coming together to form clouds.

4. Precipitation

Above 0 degrees centigrade, the vapours will condense into water droplets. However, it cannot condense without dust or other impurities. Hence, water vapours attach itself on to the particle’s surface. When enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds and on to the ground below. This process is called precipitation (or rainfall). In particularly cold weather or extremely low air pressure, the water droplets freeze and fall as snow or hail.

5. Infiltration

Rainwater gets absorbed into the ground through the process of infiltration. The level of absorption varies based on the material the water has seeped into. For instance, rocks will retain comparatively less water than soil. Groundwater can either follows streams or rivers. But sometimes, it might just sink deeper, forming aquifers.

If the water from rainfall does not form aquifers, it follows gravity, often flowing down the sides of mountains and hills; eventually forming rivers. This process is called runoff. In colder regions, icecaps form when the amount of snowfall is faster than the rate of evaporation or sublimation. The biggest icecaps on earth are found at the poles.

All the steps mentioned above occur cyclically with neither a fixed beginning nor an end.

Also Read:  Back to the Oceans

Implications of Water Cycle

• The water cycle has a tremendous impact on the climate. For instance, the greenhouse effect will cause a rise in temperature. Without the evaporative cooling effect of the water cycle, the temperature on earth would rise drastically.
• The water cycle is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles.
• Water cycle affects all life processes on earth.
• The water cycle is also known the clean the air. For instance, during the process of precipitation, water vapours have to attach themselves on to particles of dust. In polluted cities, the raindrops, apart from picking up dust, also pick up water-soluble gas and pollutants as they fall from the clouds. Raindrops are also known to pick up biological agents such as bacteria and industrial soot particles and smoke.

Read more about the water cycle with diagram by registering @  BYJU’S Biology

• Biogeochemical cycles
• Oxygen Cycle
• Carbon Cycle
• Nitrogen Cycle

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the major 4 steps in the water cycle.

The major 4 steps are evaporation of water, then condensation, precipitation and collection. The sun evaporates water sources and contributes to the formation of water vapor. These water vapour accumulate in the atmosphere as clouds. The vapours condense into water droplets and when enough droplets merge, it falls out of the clouds as rain.

What is the difference between evaporation and condensation?

Evaporation is a process by which water changes into water vapour. Condensation is an opposite process by which water vapour is converted into tiny droplets of water.

Why is water cycle important?

Water cycle has a huge impact on determining the global climate. It is also an integral part of other biogeochemical cycles. It affects all life processes on Earth either directly or indirectly.

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz

Visit BYJU’S for all Biology related queries and study materials

Your result is as below

Request OTP on Voice Call

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post My Comment

Hello fellow human creatures of Earth. This online service has provided me with much needed information.

This is helpful

Helpful to me

Super useful

It is useful for me

This really Helped me!!

Thank you for the valuable information.

Educational, thanks!

It’s really helpful for my child Thanks from heart and soul

IT is VERY USEFUL

It’s very useful thank you

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

• DIGITAL MAGAZINE

MOST POPULAR

The Water Cycle!

Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years….

Pour yourself a glass of water and take a sip. Did you know that the water you’ve just swallowed is the same water that wooly mammoths, King Tutankhamun and the first humans drank? That’s because Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years !

The world’s water moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the atmosphere and the land in an ongoing cycle called – you guessed it! – the water cycle . As it goes through this continuous system, it can be a liquid (water), a gas (vapour) or a solid (ice).

So, are all you budding young geographers ready to learn some splashing new facts? Then join NG KiDS as we take a look at the different stages of the wonderful water cycle…

Evaporation

Energy from the sun heats up the surface of the Earth, causing the temperature of the water in our rivers, lakes and oceans to rise. When this happens, some of the water “evaporates” into the air, turning into a gas called “ vapour “. Plants and trees also lose water to the atmosphere through their leaves. This process is known as “ transpiration “.

Condensation

As water vapour rises up high into the sky, it cools and turns back into a liquid, forming clouds. This process is called “ condensation “. Currents high up in the air move these clouds around the globe.

The water cycle is also known as the “ hydrologic cycle “.

Precipitation.

When too much water has condensed, the water droplets in the clouds become too big and heavy for the air to hold them. And so they fall back down to Earth as rain, snow, hail or sleet, a process known as “ precipitation “.

The fallen precipitation is then “collected” in bodies of water – such as rivers, lakes and oceans – from where it will eventually evaporate back into the air, beginning the cycle all over again. How it is collected, depends on where it lands…

• Some will fall directly into lakes, rivers or the sea, from where it will evaporate and begin the cycle all over again.
• If the water falls on vegetation, it may evaporate from leaves back into the air, or trickle down to the ground. Some of this water may then be taken up by the plant roots in the earth.
• In cold climates, the precipitation may build up on land as snow, ice or glaciers. If temperatures rise, the ice will melt to liquid water and then soak into the ground, or flow into rivers or the ocean.

Water that reaches land directly may flow across the ground and collect in the oceans, rivers or lakes. This water is called “ surface run-off “. Some of the precipitation will instead soak (or “infiltrate”) into the soil, from where it will slowly move through the ground until eventually reaching a river or the ocean.

And there you have it, gang – the ongoing  water cycle !

Water can change from a solid to a gas, without becoming a liquid first. Through this process of “ sublimation ” our planet”s ice can evaporate directly into the air without melting!

Be sure to check out our water conservation primary resource . Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike, show children 25 ways to help keep our oceans, rivers and streams clean…

Illustration: Getty Images UK

Leave a comment.

Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.

WELL DONE, YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN ADDED!

i like it cool

cool love ng kids

I love this website I always use it for school.

very good love it

So interesting

Wow wowowowowowwow

Wow this is really interesting to know. I thought i new all about this topic but this website taught me much more. Keep up the good work!

AMAZING THIS IS SOOOOO COOL WATER IS AMAZING

water is cool

thanks for the info

This avatar is so cute

This is so cute

hola amigos

This is cool

How is it possible that the water you are drinking today, is the same water the dinoaurs drank??

This helped me so much with my assignment. Thank you!

This is like Wikipedia type stuff

wow, thank you guys you have helped me a lot with my writing i had to do, i have enjoyed learning more about the water cycle and how it works and what happens thank you again.

informative

This is soooo good! I have learnt so much from National Geographic and National Geographic Kids!!!

show me somthing helpfull

really help full

This is great for kids

Thank you sooo much! I'm always late to do my homework. This website was really easy to understand and I got my homework done is ONE NIGHT! Which I must say is very unlikely of me! Thank u again :)

At school i am learning about the water cycle and this website is so great to get facts of like water that you have drunk dinosaurs have actually drank like OMG thank you so much national geographic for creating this website i bet this has hepled a lot of kids. by the way am 12 in highschool Regards, Milla Randall

Thanks for so much information

I'm so much smarter now

I never knew that solid can turn in to gas without melting

I know the water cycle but I did not know that the planet has been recycling water for over 4 billion years.

I like National Geographic kids it has lots and of facts.

I think the story of the water cycle is amazing

This is cool!

LOL! hehehehehehehheheheh nope im not a stereotype

i did not know that.

hhhhhhhhhhi

I loved it I learned so much!

I love it! It helped me learn! About the water cycle I didnt know it was that completely amazing what water dose.

I have learned it before and its great to know!

fun and interesting to learn

You guys are the best.I never knew there was a water cycle

COOL ,you guy really did a good job

Thanks was a some Epic

I learnt this at senior school

awesommmmmmmmmmmeeeeeee

very good website

You are smart i like people who are smart nice :)

I didnt know the water cycle was that amazing

I love this website!!!!! who ever the people are that made national geographic website, your amazing you make one off the best websites ever!!!

INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting

Save nature

This is a good because you come to learn from others.

3 cheers for our water cycle!

this website is epic it helps with everything and i dont know what i would do without it thanks for reading!!!

I love water fishy would die if theres no water

Water cycle will be the king lol

Water cycle are best it makes the earth all healthy

Water cycle is awesome it makes plants healthy

Water cycle is awesome I love it!!!

this was AMAZING and full of info!! THANK YOU!! :)

I did a water cycle song at shool

LOVE GIRAFFES !!! SENICE TOO ANIMALS TOO WATER ASWELL I LOVE ANIMAL JAM

I LOVE ANIMALS AND ESPESIALY GIRRAFES

weird but cool!

Water cycle = AWESOME

The water cycle is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

thats amazing

Thats so awesome

I love the water-cycle! I also love the diagram!!! SO AWESOME!!! I need to read this another time!!!

that was interesting

I really like how you explain what is a water cycle

I never knew what I know now.

AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IT IS ALL IN CAPITALS BECAUSE MY KEY BOARD IS BROKEN

I love the water cycle and it was good to learn new things.

I didnt know that much! Good Facts!

Cool! never know it worked like that! Good animation!

cool i didnt know water worked like that

wow!!!!! this will help with my scool worl!!!!!

cool. I didnt know the water cycle worked like that!

cool i love the word evaporation

Very interesting and awsome!

I like the graphic explains the water cycle so well.

I learnt about this at school... And it is really interesting

I liked the facts about the water cycle!

This informmation is really interesting!

CUSTOMIZE YOUR AVATAR

More like nature.

How to save the planet: a kids’ guide!

10 Top Tomato Facts!

3 super science experiments to try at home!

Scavenger Hunt!

Sign up to our newsletter

Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox.

You will receive our UK newsletter. Change region

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

COUNTRY * Australia Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom Other

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers.

You're all signed up! Back to subscription site

Type whatever you want to search

More Results

You’re leaving natgeokids.com to visit another website!

Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online.

You're leaving our kids' pages to visit a page for grown-ups!

Be sure to check if your parent or guardian is okay with this first.

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

holy spirit

35 templates

11 templates

business pitch

598 templates

ai technology

169 templates

21 templates

environmental science

36 templates

Water Cycle Infographics

It seems that you like this template, free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

Where does all the water in the rivers go? To the ocean! But wait, there’s litres and litres of water flowing to the oceans every second, how is it that they don’t rise? Where does all the water go? Well, here is when the sun comes into play, it evaporates lots of water and turns it into clouds! Then, it’s time for precipitation: when clouds get cold, they condense and turn steam into liquid water, that’s rain! Explain the water cycle with these illustrative infographics!

Features of these infographics

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 31 different infographics to boost your presentations
• Include icons and Flaticon’s extension for further customization
• Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint and Keynote
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Include information about how to edit and customize your infographics

How can I use the infographics?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute the infographics?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Water Cycle

Weather & climate, societal applications, the water cycle.

Precipitation is a vital component of how water moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting the ocean, land, and atmosphere . Knowing where it rains, how much it rains and the character of the falling rain, snow or hail allows scientists to better understand precipitation’s impact on streams, rivers, surface runoff and groundwater . Frequent and detailed measurements help scientists make models of and determine changes in Earth’s water cycle.

The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans, where it will once more evaporate. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns on Earth.

Water Cycle Essentials:

• Earth Observatory: Water Cycle Overview Article, General Audience
• Earth's Water Cycle Video, General Audience
• NASA Earth Science: The Water Cycle  Article, General Audience

Water Cycle Resources