How the Sun Powers Earth's Water Cycle

Every drop of water on Earth is ancient, existing within a continuous closed loop of transformation.

Solar energy breaks liquid water molecules apart, forcing them to rise as invisible gas in a process known as evaporation. As this gas ascends higher into the atmosphere, the surrounding air becomes drastically colder, stealing back the solar heat energy.

The loss of heat forces the scattered gas molecules to clump back together, forming a visible cloud in the sky through condensation. As more water droplets merge, they become too heavy for the air to hold, leading to precipitation as gravity pulls them down to the surface.

Gravity continues to drag this fallen water down mountainsides, eventually returning it to the oceans, where it is ready to be heated by the sun again. This massive planetary engine has been operating in a closed loop for billions of years, meaning the fresh water consumed today is the same water that once rained on dinosaurs.