Where does the energy come from to power the water cycle?
The energy for the water cycle primarily comes from the Sun. Solar energy drives the entire water cycle by providing heat that causes evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies. When the sun's rays reach the Earth's surface, they warm the water, converting it into water vapor through the process of evaporation.
As the water vapor rises into the atmosphere, it is cooled, condenses into water droplets or ice crystals, and forms clouds. Subsequently, when the condensed water droplets combine and become too heavy to remain suspended in the air, they fall back to the Earth's surface as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
The energy from the Sun is also involved in other aspects of the water cycle, such as sublimation (the process in which ice directly changes into water vapor) and transpiration (the release of water vapor from the leaves of plants). Ultimately, the Sun's energy is crucial in powering the continuous movement and transformation of water throughout the water cycle.