no, it evaporates...
The water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, is the continuous, solar-driven movement of water in all three states (solid, liquid, gas) between Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Key stages include evaporation/transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. This ongoing process has no definitive start or end, recycling Earth's water perpetually.
Stages of the Water Cycle
- Evaporation/Sublimation: Solar energy heats liquid water (oceans, lakes) into vapor, or turns ice/snow directly into gas.
- Transpiration: Plants release water vapor from their leaves into the air.
- Condensation: Water vapor rises, cools, and turns back into liquid, creating clouds.
- Precipitation: Water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail when clouds are saturated.
- Collection/Runoff/Infiltration: Water gathers in bodies of water, flows over land, or seeps into the ground to become groundwater.
How It Works
The sun powers the entire system, heating water to rise, while gravity pulls water back to the surface. Water shifts between solid, liquid, and gas phases as it moves through the atmosphere, land, and oceans.
Duration
The water cycle is a continuous, instantaneous process, though individual water molecules can take varying amounts of time to complete a full cycle, ranging from days in the atmosphere to thousands of years in glaciers or deep underground aquifers.
Human Impacts
Human activities like urbanization (reducing infiltration), irrigation (increasing evaporation), deforestation (reducing transpiration), and climate change significantly alter the natural flow and quality of water.
Types of Water in the Cycle
Water exists as gaseous water vapor in the atmosphere, liquid freshwater/saltwater on the surface, and solid ice (glaciers, snowpack).