The water cycle, also called the hydrologic cycle, consists of four stages: storage, evaporation, precipitation, and runoff. Water is stored in oceans and lakes, in river channels, ice caps, glaciers, and in the ground. Evaporation, including plant respiration, changes water into water vapor. Precipitation occurs when water vapor in the air condenses in the clouds and falls to the ground as rain, snow, ice pellets, or hail. Runoff is the movement of water

2. Compton’s 99 Encyclopedia – Water Cycle, Rock Cycle

The water cycle and the rock cycle are interrelated since they are both important factors to our earth. They also interrelate because the rock cycle needs part of the water cycle during erosion and weathering. When there is run-off during the water cycle, the water gathers and transports particles of rock (formed by weathering) to the bodies of water. Waves cause erosion by wearing away rock. Ice can also erode rocks by the freezing-thawing cycle, and ices in the form of glaciers erode by plucking off loose rocks and by abrasive action. Weathering occurs when the rocks at or near the Earth’s surface is disintegrated and decomposed by action of running water, also from the water cycle.

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