The diagram illustrates the cyclical process of the continuing water movement. This process includes the water on, above and below the surface of Earth.
Overall, the process involves two main stages comprising six steps, starting with precipitation, and ending with evaporation from the ocean, restarting the cycle.
The first stage shows the water movements near the ground. Initially, the condensation transforms into the clouds, which produce the precipitation in purpose for the water to get to the ground. As the precipitation meets the mountains it turns into snow, then the snow melts and transforms into water, running down the mountain. After that, the water stays on the ground in a lake. There are two ways where the water can go from being in the lake: it can either go further in the ground and then into trees via percolation through roots of the trees, or it can go to the ocean using the groundwater flow.
The final stage involves the evaporation of water from the ocean. The water stays in the ocean as its final destination. As the sun heats the ocean the water starts evaporating and transforms into steam. The steam, as it moves in the sky, gathers into the clouds, which will produce the precipitation again, restarting the process.
