Science Common Sense

866 - What is the water cycle, and why is it important for life on Earth?

The water cycle is like a big circle where water moves from the Earth to the air and back to the Earth again. It has three main steps:

1. Evaporation: The sun heats up the Earth's surface, and water from oceans, lakes, and rivers turns into water vapor. This water vapor rises into the air.
2. Condensation: The water vapor in the air cools down and turns back into liquid water, forming clouds.
3. Precipitation: The clouds get too heavy with water, and it falls back to the Earth as rain, snow, or hail.

The water cycle is important for life on Earth because it:

• Gives us fresh water to drink
• Helps plants grow by providing them with water
• Shapes our landscape by creating rivers, lakes, and oceans
• Regulates the Earth's temperature by moving heat around the planet
• Keeps our air clean by washing away pollutants

Without the water cycle, life on Earth wouldn't be possible.