- Evaporation: The process in which water changes from its liquid state to a vapor or gas state. This occurs when the sun heats up the surface water in oceans, lakes, and rivers and turns it into vapor.
- Condensation: The process in which water vapor cools and changes back into liquid water. This occurs when the cooled water vapor forms clouds in the atmosphere.
- Precipitation: The process in which water falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface in various forms, including rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This occurs when the cloud particles combine and become too heavy to stay in the air.
- Runoff: The process in which water flows over the land surface into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This occurs when precipitation cannot be absorbed by the ground fast enough or when water bodies are already at capacity.
- Infiltration: The process in which water seeps into the ground and becomes groundwater. This occurs when precipitation is absorbed by soil and permeable rocks.
- Transpiration: The process in which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves. This occurs when plants take up water from the ground and release it through tiny pores in their leaves called stomata.
These processes continuously interact and contribute to the movement and distribution of water on Earth, forming the water cycle.
The water cycle includes
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