The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back.

The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back.

• A. Water Cycle
• B. Nitrogen Cycle
• C. Carbon Cycle
• D. Rock Cycle

Answer: (A)

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water within Earth and its atmosphere. It begins with evaporation, where heat from the sun turns surface water in oceans, lakes, and rivers into water vapor that rises into the air. Plants also contribute through transpiration, releasing water from their leaves. As the air cools, the water vapor condenses into clouds. When the droplets in clouds grow too large, they fall as precipitation—rain, snow, or other forms—back to the surface. From there, water may run off the land into rivers and oceans or soak into the soil to become groundwater. That groundwater can feed streams again, helping keep the cycle going. This ongoing loop moves and redistributes Earth's freshwater and helps regulate climate and support life. Other cycles describe different substances—like nitrogen with nitrogen transformations, carbon with carbon moves between organisms and the air, and the rock cycle with changes in rocks—and they aren’t about the movement of water itself.

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water within Earth and its atmosphere. It begins with evaporation, where heat from the sun turns surface water in oceans, lakes, and rivers into water vapor that rises into the air. Plants also contribute through transpiration, releasing water from their leaves. As the air cools, the water vapor condenses into clouds. When the droplets in clouds grow too large, they fall as precipitation—rain, snow, or other forms—back to the surface. From there, water may run off the land into rivers and oceans or soak into the soil to become groundwater. That groundwater can feed streams again, helping keep the cycle going. This ongoing loop moves and redistributes Earth's freshwater and helps regulate climate and support life. Other cycles describe different substances—like nitrogen with nitrogen transformations, carbon with carbon moves between organisms and the air, and the rock cycle with changes in rocks—and they aren’t about the movement of water itself.