What is the main source of energy for the water cycle?

The main source of energy for the water cycle is the Sun. The Sun’s energy drives the process of evaporation, where water from oceans, lakes, and rivers heats up and turns into water vapor. This vapor rises into the atmosphere, where it cools and condenses into clouds, eventually falling back to the Earth as precipitation. Through this continuous process, the Sun’s energy facilitates the movement of water in various states—liquid, gas, and solid—within the water cycle.

While wind plays a role in moving water vapor and clouds, it does not provide the energy needed for the transformation and movement of water. Rivers and soil do store and transport water, but they do not generate the energy needed to initiate the processes within the water cycle. Therefore, the Sun is essential as it provides the energy that fuels these processes.