The Water Cycle: Following The Water

Explore how water moves across land and returns to the ocean in the final installment of the water cycle series.

Precipitation falls on the ground, but what happens to that water depends greatly on the geography of the land at any particular place.
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The movement of water on land and through the Earth's many layers is evaluated using ground and satellite measurements along with computer models.

Groundwater gains and losses vary dramatically on our planet as a result of precipitation levels and the effects of evaporation due to sunlight.

The amount of precipitation retained by the very top layer of soils on Earth is seen in this snapshot of soil wetness on each continent.

Water on land is diverted into rivers or stored underground in aquifers (multi-colored areas) for consumption by plants, animals and humans.