What is the water cycle?
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The water cycle is a continuous process that moves water around the Earth, helping to keep our planet’s ecosystems balanced. It begins when the sun heats up water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and even the soil. This heat causes the water to evaporate, turning it from a liquid into a gas called water vapour. Plants also contribute through a process called transpiration, where water is released from leaves into the air.
Once in the atmosphere, the water vapour cools down as it rises. This cooling causes condensation, where the gas turns back into tiny droplets of liquid. These droplets gather together to form clouds. As more and more water accumulates, the clouds become heavier, and the water eventually falls back to the Earth as precipitation. Precipitation can take many forms, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on the temperature.
When precipitation reaches the ground, some of it flows over the surface as runoff, collecting in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Other water seeps i...
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