Browse Water Cycle Resources

Browse Water Cycle Resources

The Water Cycle: Steaming the Air
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Explore water vapor in the air in part two of the water cycle series. This second part of our series on the water cycle illustrates the way in which evaporation and winds combine to move water from the ocean to the land.
Multiple Earth's showing different heat visualizations
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Explore the solar heating of the ocean in part one of a series on the water cycle. The animations show multiple views of the solar heating of the oceans, a picture of this first stage of water's cyclical journey from sea to air to land, and back again.
Screenshot from water vapor animation
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Water vapor - and with it energy - is carried around the globe by weather systems. This satellite image shows the distribution of water vapor over Africa and the Atlantic Ocean.
Screenshot from the water cycle animation
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This flash animation takes viewers through four aspects of the water cycle: rain, water storage, vapor, and clouds.
Chart showing sea ice decline
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The cryosphere consists of those parts of the Earth's surface where water is found in solid form, including areas of snow, sea ice, glaciers, permafrost, ice sheets, and icebergs. This animation shows fluctuations in the cryosphere.
image of raindrops
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Find out how scientists use the distinct sounds made underwater by different size raindrops to measure rainfall.
Icon for s'cool
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The S'COOL Project involves students (ages 5 - 20+) in real science, making and reporting ground truth observations of clouds to assist in the validation of NASA's CERES satellite instruments. Includes lesson plans and other related materials.
Thumbnail for Real World Clouds
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Learn about precipitation and how clouds are formed. Find out why scientists study clouds and how you can help NASA collect cloud observation data as part of the Students' Cloud Observation OnLine, or S'COOL, Project.
Hydrologic Cycle diagram
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The water, or hydrologic, cycle describes the pilgrimage of water as water molecules make their way from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back again, in some cases to below the surface.
NASA Our World: What is a Cloud?
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This NASA video segment describes the different types of clouds and cloud formation. The relationship between clouds and weather on Earth is demonstrated.

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