Up in the sky, water begins an amazing journey. When the Sun warms rivers, lakes, and oceans, some water turns into a gas called
water vapor. This process is called
evaporation. The vapor rises high into the sky and cools down, turning back into tiny water droplets. These droplets gather to form clouds, a process called
condensation. As more and more droplets join, they become heavy. When the clouds can't hold them anymore, the droplets fall back to Earth as rain, a process called
precipitation. Rain fills rivers, waters plants, and keeps the land fresh. The rainwater eventually flows back to the ocean, starting the water cycle all over again. Without rain, life on Earth would not survive.
