The Water Cycle Research Paper

The Water Cycle

The water cycle begins when water from the ocean is heated by the sun and evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapor.

The water vapor rises up, cools, and condenses to form clouds and precipitation.

Precipitation, in the form of rain and snow, returns to the surface where it can collect in ponds and lakes, run off into streams and rivers, or enter the ground.

Infiltration is the process of water entering the ground and becoming groundwater.

Groundwater can then be taken up by roots, moved up through a plant, and evaporated off leaf surface in a process known as evapotranspiration.