The Water Cycle | |
The Water-Cycle Our water-cycle diagram is available in many languages.
English |
Earth's water is always in movement, and the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Since the water cycle is truly a "cycle," there is no beginning or end. Water can change states among liquid, vapor, and ice at various places in the water cycle, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years. Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules can come and go in a hurry. The water in the apple you ate yesterday may have fallen as rain half-way around the world last year or could have been used 100 million years ago by Mama Dinosaur to give her baby a bath. To explore the water cycle, choose a topic from the diagram or text links below. A summary of the water cycle on a single Web page is also available:
Condensation Evaporation Freshwater storage
Ground-water discharge Ground-water storage Infiltration Precipitation Snowmelt runoff to streams Springs Streamflow Surface runoff Transpiration Water in the atmosphere Water storage in ice and snow Water storage in oceans Printing options: A print-friendly image of the diagram is available. Follow a drip through the water cycle. Water-cycle home Water Science home USGS Water Resources Comments? Contact Howard Perlman The URL for this page is http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html Last Modified: Oct 14, 2004 USGS Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Accessibility |