The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere plays an important
role in determining climatic patterns. Water evaporates from the surface
of the earth, rises and cools, condenses into rain or snow, and falls again
to the surface. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes,
soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the ocean.
| NSES Content Standard D
Earth and Space Science: Structure of the Earth system Grades 5-8, page 160 Water, which covers the majority of the earth's surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere in what is known as the "water cycle." Water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises and cools as it moves to higher elevations, condenses as rain or snow, and falls to the surface where it collects in lakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground. |