This is a photo of the crashing waves of the ocean. Because the ocean holds so much of the Earth's water, it is the greatest source of evaporated water to the atmosphere.
Click on image for full size
Corel Photography

Evaporation

Have you ever left a glass of water out for a long time? Did you notice that the water disappears after a few days? That's because it evaporated!

Evaporation is when water passes from a liquid to a gas.

Water that is held in lakes and rivers evaporates into the atmosphere. Since the ocean is so big, it is the biggest source for water evaporated into the atmosphere. Evaporation helps keep the water cycle going!

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Rivers

Rivers are very important to Earth because they are major forces that shape the landscape. Also, they provide transportation and water for drinking, washing and farming. Rivers can flow on land or underground...more

The Atmosphere of Triton

Triton is the largest moon of Neptune. It isn't quite as big as Earth's Moon. The surface of Triton is very, very cold. It is colder than the surface of any other planet or moon in our Solar System. It...more

Some Sedimentary Rocks Are Made of Crystals!

Some sedimentary rocks are made of mineral crystals that come from oceans, lakes, and groundwater. Water can have all the ingredients that are needed to make mineral crystals! How does water hold the...more

Type of Wind: Chinook or Foehn

There are several different types of wind. One type is the foehn wind. This type of wind is found on the eastern side of a mountain and is warm and dry. Some mountainous areas that have this type of wind...more

Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling in the Southeast Pacific

There are many connections between the ocean and the atmosphere in the Southeast Pacific Ocean. Strong winds blow north along the coast of South America. These winds stir up the ocean. That brings cold...more

Fog

Fog is a cloud that touches the ground. Fog usually forms when moist air travels over cold land or water. The moist air cools down and the water vapor condenses and forms a cloud near the Earth's surface....more

Drizzle

Drizzle is very light rain; the water drops that make up drizzle are smaller than rain drops. Drizzle can be so light that only a millimeter of water falls to the Earth's surface in one day. It is produced...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA