According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, water transforms and moves through different stages in the atmosphere, a process known as transportation. In its liquid form, water travels over land surfaces as runoff, sinks into the ground through infiltration and percolation, and flows below the Earth's surface as groundwater. Plants absorb this groundwater, which is then emitted back into the atmosphere by evapotranspiration—the combination of evaporation from the soil and plant surfaces and transpiration through plant leaves. Furthermore, solid forms of water, such as ice and snow, can also change directly into gas through sublimation, while water vapor may transform directly into a solid through deposition. This narrative highlights the first part of the water cycle, which involves the transportation of water in its various forms.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, water undergoes transformation and transit in different phases within the atmosphere, a phenomenon known as transport. Water, in its liquid state, moves across the land as surface runoff, seeps into the earth by infiltration and percolation, and migrates beneath the surface as subterranean water. This groundwater is taken up by plants and later released back to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, a process that includes both evaporation from the ground and plant surfaces and transpiration from the foliage of plants. Additionally, water in its solid state, such as ice and snow, can morph directly into gas via sublimation, while gaseous water vapor can convert straight into a solid by deposition. This account emphasizes the initial segment of the water cycle that deals with the movement of water in its different states.
