The process whereby water molecules gain energy from the sun insolation and break free from the attractive forces that bind them together. Therefore the liquid changes into gaseous form of water.
Transpiration is the process of water, formed during photosynthesis of plant, is released into the air. Evapotranspiration is the process of evaporation of water from transpiration.
As water vapour rises, it cools and condenses on tiny particles of dust in the air. When it condenses it becomes a or turns directly into a solid (ice liquid again, hail or snow). These water particles then collect and form clouds.
Precipitation in the form of rain, snow and hail comes from clouds. Clouds move around the world, propelled by air currents. For instance, when they rise over mountain ranges, they cool, becoming so saturated with water that water begins to fall as rain, snow or hail, depending on the temperature of the surrounding air. Water vapor may turn directly into snow in a process called sublimation (moving directly from a gas to a solid or a solid to a gas). Hail may be formed when raindrops are tossed high into the clouds and colder temperatures. As these small drops freeze, they are dropped lower into the clouds, coated with water, and then blown back up into the atmosphere to freeze again. When too heavy to be blown around in the clouds, hail stones drop to the Earth.
Water from excessive rain or snowmelt cannot be absorbed into the saturated ground. This water flow on the surface of the land. It is also known as surface runoff or overland flow. Percolation: Some of the precipitation and snow melt moves downwards and soak into the soil subsurface until it reaches the water table where it becomes groundwater, through cracks, joints and pores in soil and rocks.
Subterranean water is held in cracks and pore spaces. Depending on the geology, the groundwater can flow to support streams. It can also be tapped by wells. Some groundwater is very old and may have been there for thousands of years.
The water table is the level to which water will rise in an open well.
Water that has infiltrated into the soil subsurface and flows sideways. The roots of plants absorb this water.