Air & Weather
Clouds, which form from the rising water vapor, provide rain
Water Cycle of the Earth
replenishment.
transported to land
clouds…
masses by winds.
70%
of the precipitation
…many of which are Water vapor forms
About
in a forest returns to the atmosphere.
Snow
About 70% of the
gas, for example).
the water molecules accelerate until they are
Rain that falls on leaves
from the canopy.
Water absorbed by the roots is partly transpired through the crown.
and needles is first stored in the
so fast that they escape into the air as a gas.
Inter cept i on
Glaciers & Ice Sheets
forest canopy.
Permafrost
Evapor ation
changes (from liquid to
Precipita tion
process its state also
heats a water surface,
on
vapor. When the sun
ice masses constantly
porates directly
ion irat
water becomes water
ter, rivers, oceans, and
Some water eva-
Pre cip ita ti
During evaporation,
atmosphere, groundwa-
exchange water. In the
Sublimatio n
covered by water. The
nsp Tra
Earth's surface is
Only when more rain
Soil ev aporat ion
falls than the canopy can absorb does the water seep into the forest floor. Oceans
Rivers & Lakes
ge pa ee i o n t ps Dee filtra and
Earth mass
Soil is the smallest source of
Root uptake Seepage water
Water mass
Compared to the
Groundwater
mass of the Earth, the mass of water on our planet is tiny.
Sources: Markart & Kohl (2009), Perlmann et al. (2019), USGS (2019), Zimmermann et al. (2008)
water evaporation.