The Water Cycle

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water from the oceans to the atmosphere (sky) and back again. There is no start or finish point. In the water cycle, water continuously moves and changes form. At any one time water can either be a solid (ice), a liquid (water), or a gas (water vapour). The main parts of the water cycle are:

• evaporation (and transpiration)
• condensation
• precipitation
• collection and storage

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Water cycle © USGS

Related Links (on other websites)

The water cycle: Evapotranspiration
If you search for the definition of evapotranspiration, you will find that it varies. In general, evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation and transpiration. Some definitions include evaporation from surface-water bodies, even the oceans.