The water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, is the continuous circulation of water within the Earth–atmosphere system, driven primarily by solar radiation and gravity. It encompasses phase changes and fluxes such as evaporation and transpiration from surface and biotic reservoirs, condensation in the atmosphere, cloud formation, and subsequent precipitation as rain, snow, or other hydrometeors. Infiltration, percolation, and groundwater flow redistribute water within subsurface reservoirs, while surface runoff and riverine transport return water to oceans and lakes. The water cycle regulates climate, controls energy and mass exchanges, and governs biogeochemical transport across terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric compartments.
Understanding how water moves through the Earth system is fundamental to predicting climate impacts and ensuring sustainable water management. Yet despite decades of research, uncertainties persist regarding how global precipitation ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 15, 2026
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Floods, droughts and heat waves continue to dominate headlines around the world and in Australia.
Earth Sciences
Jan 13, 2026
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Water is a vital resource. Life on Earth, as we know it, is impossible without access to safe drinking water. Concerns over declining quality and consistency of municipal drinking water supplied to consumers have been increasing ...
Environment
Dec 17, 2025
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The Xwulqw'selu Sta'lo' (Koksilah River) is a culturally important river to the Cowichan Tribes, located on traditional Quw'utsun land on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The land, which was never ceded to Canada, is part ...
Environment
Dec 4, 2025
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The Qinling-Bashan Mountains (QBMs) serve as an important boundary between southern and northern China and are dubbed China's Central Water Tower (CCWT). However, the spatiotemporal structures and dynamics of the summer hydroclimate, ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 25, 2025
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In mountain regions like the Rockies, headwater streams make up more than 70% of the river network and support the downstream waterways and communities. These headwaters are also home to many forms of aquatic life. While ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 13, 2025
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California often swings between climate extremes—from powerful storms to punishing droughts. As climate change drives more intense and frequent dry and wet cycles, pressure on California's water supplies grows.
Environment
Nov 5, 2025
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As the world's climate warms and droughts and water shortages are becoming more common, farmers are struggling to produce enough food. Farmers continue to adapt, but there are ways for you to help, too.
Agriculture
Nov 4, 2025
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Forests play a crucial role in providing precipitation to agricultural areas, importantly supporting crop production and global trade activities. A recent study published in Nature Water emphasizes that to manage global food ...
Ecology
Nov 3, 2025
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Caltech researchers have developed a new simulation of the hydrological cycle on Jupiter, modeling how water vapor condenses into clouds and falls as rain throughout the giant planet's swirled, turbulent atmosphere. The research ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 29, 2025
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