The water cycle, or hydrological cycle, is a natural process where water continuously moves through Earth’s systems. It begins with evaporation, where heat transforms surface water into vapor.
This vapor rises, cools, and condenses into clouds. Precipitation occurs when cloud droplets combine and fall as rain, snow, or hail. Water can infiltrate the ground, becoming groundwater, or flow on the surface, eventually reaching oceans or lakes.
Plants release water through transpiration. This cycle, encompassing evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and more, sustains Earth’s water supply and influences weather patterns and ecosystems.