Water cycle: pools, fluxes and changes of state
The water cycle describes water moving through Earth and its atmosphere, including storage and changes of state.
The water cycle describes water moving through Earth and its atmosphere, including storage and changes of state.
Understand the mechanism
NOAA distinguishes pools, where water is stored, from fluxes, the movements between them. A lake or glacier is a pool; evaporation or runoff is a flux. The cycle is more complex than a single circular diagram.
The important distinction
Liquid water can evaporate into vapour, condense into droplets and return as precipitation. Water also moves underground and through living organisms. A classroom diagram should not imply that every water molecule follows the same route.
Practise applying the idea
Draw three boxes labelled atmosphere, surface water and underground water. Label the arrows with processes rather than writing water on every arrow. Then identify which labels refer to places and which refer to movement.
Static GK, with a real publication date
These are established concepts, not newly discovered events on 11 October 2026. Use the original source to check the explanation, then try recalling it without notes.
Publication disclosure
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Frequently asked questions
Is a glacier a pool or a flux?
A glacier is a pool: a place where water is stored.