Explain the processes and stages of the water cycle. (100 words)

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, is a continuous process that involves the circulation of water on Earth. It begins with evaporation, where heat from the sun causes water from oceans, lakes, and rivers to turn into vapor. This vapor rises into the atmosphere and cools down to form clouds, a process known as condensation. When the clouds become heavy, precipitation occurs in the form of rain, snow, or hail, returning water back to the Earth's surface. Some of this water is taken up by plants and transpired back into the atmosphere, while some infiltrates into the ground, replenishing groundwater supplies. This cycle then repeats.