Science· 4 min read
The Water Cycle Explained (Stages and Diagram in Words)
The water cycle is how water moves between the oceans, the air, and the land, over and over. The water you drank today has been around since the dinosaurs.
The main stages
The cycle has four main stages that repeat continuously.
- •Evaporation: the sun heats water in oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it into water vapour that rises into the air.
- •Condensation: high up where it is cold, the vapour cools and turns back into tiny droplets, forming clouds.
- •Precipitation: droplets join, grow heavy, and fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- •Collection: water gathers in oceans, lakes, and rivers, or soaks into the ground — and the cycle begins again.
Two stages worth knowing by name
Transpiration is water released by plants into the air — like evaporation, but from leaves. Runoff is water flowing over land back into rivers and the sea. Both feed the same cycle.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four stages of the water cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
What powers the water cycle?
The sun's energy drives evaporation, and gravity pulls precipitation and runoff back down.