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Earth's Original Recycling System
💧 Earth's Original Recycling System
The water you drank this morning has been around for billions of years. It may have fallen as rain on the Sahara, been frozen in a glacier, or drunk by a dinosaur. Water never disappears — it just keeps moving. The water cycle is Earth's oldest and most reliable recycling system, and understanding it explains everything from cloud formation to why plants matter so much for our climate.
What is the water cycle?: The continuous movement of water between oceans, atmosphere, land and living organisms.
Driven by solar energy. Water is recycled — never created or destroyed.
Biology glossary
- What is the water cycle?
- The continuous movement of water between oceans, atmosphere, land and living organisms. Driven by solar energy. Water is recycled — never created or destroyed.
The Four Main Stages of the Water Cycle
The sun heats water on the surface of oceans, lakes, rivers, and puddles. This energy causes water molecules to gain enough kinetic energy to escape from the liquid surface and become water vapour — an invisible gas. Evaporation is the main route by which water enters the atmosphere. The warmer the temperature, the fas
💡 Evaporation from water bodies
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🧠 Memory Aid — ETCP
Remember the four key stages of the water cycle using the phrase:
"Every Tuesday Creates Puddles"
- E — Evaporation (water → vapour, from oceans and lakes)
- T — Transpiration (water → vapour, from plant leaves)
- C — Condensation (vapour → droplets, forming clouds)
- P — Precipitation (droplets → rain/snow, falling to earth)
Then add percolation and run-off for the return journey of water to the sea.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 12
What is the water cycle?
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