SCIENCE: The Water Cycle

• The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the earth’s surface. Water is always in movement and the water cycle describes water's movement in different places and through different states (liquid, vapor, and ice).

• So how does water actually move?

  • The sun heats up water causing it to evaporate from the ocean, streams, and lakes. The liquid water from the earth turns into water vapor in the atmosphere.

  • As the water vapor rises the cool air in the atmosphere causes the water vapor to turn back into liquid water. This is called condensation and it creates clouds.

  • Once a cloud fills with liquid water, it falls from the sky in the form of rain or snow. This is known as precipitation. Rain or snow fills bodies of water with water causing the process to restart.