Science & Earth · Updated September 2026
The water cycle explained
The water cycle moves Earth’s water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Why it matters for weather, rivers and drinking water.
The water cycle (hydrological cycle) is the path water takes between oceans, air, land, ice and living things. The amount of water on Earth stays roughly the same; it changes form and place.
Heat from the Sun evaporates water, mostly from the ocean. Water vapour cools and condenses into clouds. Precipitation returns it as rain, snow, sleet or hail. Some water runs off into rivers; some soaks in as groundwater; some is stored in ice.
Transpiration is water leaving plant leaves. Together with evaporation it is often called evapotranspiration. If this cycle is new to you, pair it with the climate-zones and rivers pages.
The water cycle explained — key facts (2026)
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Driver | The Sun’s heat plus gravity |
| Main store | Oceans (~97% of Earth’s water) |
| Fresh water share | A few percent — much of it locked in ice |
| Key steps | Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection |
| Plants | Transpiration |
| Underground | Groundwater / aquifers |
| Solid store | Glaciers and ice sheets |
| Human twist | Dams, wells and climate change shift local timing |
Figures are the usual classroom and news-desk numbers for 2026. Border disputes and membership votes can change a count by one or two.
People also ask
What are the 4 stages of the water cycle?
School shorthand: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection (or runoff). Many diagrams add transpiration and infiltration.
Does water get used up?
Molecules are reused. Clean freshwater in a given place can still run short if we pollute it or take it faster than it refills.
How does the water cycle make rain?
Moist air rises, cools, condenses on tiny particles, and droplets grow until they fall.