The Hydrologic Cycle

Water is all around us in one form or another,
constantly moving constantly changing.

Water vapor travels up into the atmosphere where it cools into clouds. This process is called

Condensation.

As plants grow, they give off water vapor. This process is called

Transpiration.

When the clouds get heavy, the water forms into drops and falls back to earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. These forms are called 

Precipitation.

Rain and melted snow Run Off to fill surface water like lakes and streams.

Precipitation also can sink into the ground and collect in underground basins called aquifers. This is called

Percolation.

Water is always in the air as a vapor. It evaporates from surface water like oceans and lakes, and from soil. This is called

Evaporation