Water Cycle Components
Water Cycle Components
Our latest Water Cycle Diagram is now available!
Check it out below and see how humans influence the global water cycle.
Check it out below and see how humans influence the global water cycle.
Earth's water is always in motion, and the natural water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years.
New! Water Cycle Diagram
New! Water Cycle Diagram
Our newest diagram, released in 2022, depicts the global water cycle, as well as how human water use affects where water is stored, how it moves, and how clean it is.
All Water Cycle Diagrams/Downloads
All Water Cycle Diagrams/Downloads
Here you can download our water cycle diagrams as well as other educational products to assist you in the classroom or on your own learning adventure!
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Water Cycle Diagrams
Learn more about where water is on Earth and how it moves using one of the USGS water cycle diagrams. We offer downloadable and interactive versions of the water cycle diagram for elementary students and beyond. Our diagrams are also available in multiple languages. Explore our diagrams below.
The Water Cycle
The water cycle describes where water is on Earth and how it moves. Human water use, land use, and climate change all impact the water cycle. By understanding these impacts, we can work toward using water sustainably.
Downloadable Products
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers you the most comprehensive information about the natural water cycle anywhere, and, our information is available in many languages. Here you can download our water cycle diagrams as well as other educational products to assist you in the classroom or on your own learning adventure!
Мектептерге арналған су айналымы, The Water Cycle for Schools, Kazakh
Жер шарындағы су әрдайым қозғалыста болады. Гидрологиялық цикл ретінде белгілі табиғи су айналымы судың Жер бетіндегі және астындағы үздіксіз қозғалысын сипаттайды. Табиғатта су сұйық, мұз және бу күйінде кездеседі. Ол үнемі бір күйден екінші күйге ауысып отырады және бұл үдеріс миллиондаған жылдар бойы жүріп келеді.
The Sun and the Water Cycle
Who's the boss? The real boss of the water cycle doesn't even live here on Earth. The sun is what makes the water cycle go 'round. The sun provides what almost everything on Earth needs to go: heat energy.
El Ciclo del Agua - The Water Cycle, Spanish
El ciclo del agua describe dónde se encuentra el agua en la Tierra y cómo se mueve. El uso del agua por parte de los humanos, el uso de la tierra y el cambio climático tienen un impacto en el ciclo del agua. Al comprender estos impactos, podemos trabajar hacia un uso del agua de manera sostenible.
Dystrybucja wody na Ziemi, Earth's Water Distribution, Polish
Dystrybucja wody na Ziemi
The Water Science School -- What We Offer
The U.S. Geological Survey's Water Science School Where anyone of any age can learn all about water.
How Much Does a Cloud Weigh?
I don't know anyone who is afraid to walk underneath a cumulus cloud because they are afraid it might fall on them. We don't think of clouds even having weight because they are floating. But, clouds are made up of a physical substance, water, and water is quite heavy, so clouds must have weight. We will explain this "paradox" to you if you read on.
Water Science Photo Galleries
Learn about water using pictures
Snowmelt Runoff and the Water Cycle
Perhaps you've never seen snow. Or, perhaps you built a snowman this very afternoon and perhaps you saw your snowman begin to melt. Regardless of your experience with snow and associated snowmelt, runoff from snowmelt is an important component of the global movement of water, possibly even if you live where it never snows. Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's...
The Atmosphere and the Water Cycle
The atmosphere is the superhighway in the sky that moves water everywhere over the Earth. Water at the Earth's surface evaporates into water vapor, then rises up into the sky to become part of a cloud which will float off with the winds, eventually releasing water back to Earth as precipitation.