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Water cycle

Adapted from Wikipedia Β· Explorer experience

Diagram showing how Earth's water moves through evaporation, precipitation, and collection β€” a great way to learn about our planet's water!

The Water Cycle

The water cycle is a wonderful journey that water takes around our planet. It moves water between different places, such as from rivers to the ocean, or from the ocean to the sky. This cycle never really stops, and it helps keep our Earth healthy and full of life.

Water changes forms during its journey. It can be a liquid, like in rivers and lakes, or a solid like ice, and it can even become vapor up in the air. Important steps in the water cycle include evaporation, where water turns into vapor; condensation, where vapor forms clouds; and precipitation, where water falls back to Earth as rain or snow.

The ocean plays a big role because most evaporation happens there. The water cycle also helps move heat around the world, which keeps temperatures balanced in different places. It’s very important for plants, animals, and people because it provides fresh water and helps shape the land we live on.

A detailed diagram depicting the global water cycle. The direction of movement of water between reservoirs tends towards upwards movement through evapotranspiration and downward movement through gravity. The diagram also shows how human water use impacts where water is stored and how it moves.

Images

Diagram showing how water moves through the environment, from clouds to rivers and back again.
Diagram showing how humans interact with the Earth's water cycle.
Diagram showing how impervious surfaces affect water runoff in urban areas.
Water flowing from a tap – a close-up of clean drinking water.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Water cycle, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.