Do you know how the water cycle occurs?  

Climate change is one of the most talked about topics today. It has become one of the central themes in discussions ranging from the future of technology and business to education. Governments from all over the world have agreed that it is necessary to be proactive in educating the younger generations about the environment. In doing so, it is crucial to ensure that some of the most fundamental concepts related to our planet are explained to kids in a simple, engaging way. The water cycle is one of the most influential phenomena which affects ecosystems, weather, climate, natural resources, etc. Here is a simple guide to understanding what it exactly is, and how it functions. 

What is the water cycle? 

Evidently, water is an indispensable requirement for life on Earth. It exists in three states: Solid, liquid and gas, all of which share the responsibility of maintaining the climate system. It includes air, clouds, oceans, glaciers, vegetation, etc. The water cycle demonstrates the continuous movement of water (in its three different states) within our planet’s atmosphere. Also referred to as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, it is a complex system which involves the persistent circulation of water.  

How does the water cycle occur in the atmosphere? 

The water cycle involves the four fundamental processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Here is how all these process work- 

Evaporation: This is the very first step that occurs in the water cycle. During this, the sun’s heat causes the water from the Earth’s water bodies such as seas, oceans, rivers, etc. to evaporate. The heat converts them into water vapour, which is in the gaseous state, which rises up to the sky. All these vapours then come together to form clouds, 

Condensation: After these vapours have cooled down in the atmosphere, they get converted into the liquid state once again. This is known as condensation, and is essentially the reverse of evaporation. 

Precipitation: After the process of condensation, when the vapours turn into water droplets,  they fall from the sky to the surface of the Earth in the forms of rain, snow, sleet or hail, depending on the weather. This is known as precipitation. 

Collection: The water which has fallen from the sky in any of its forms then gets gathered in various water bodies yet again, such as oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, etc. As the name suggests, this is the process of collection. After this,  the water evaporates yet again leading to its cyclical nature.