Which term describes movement of water through seas, land, and air?

• A. Hydrologic Cycle
• B. Zone of Saturation
• C. Aquifers
• D. Domestic Water Uses

Answer: (A)

The movement of water through seas, land, and air is described by the hydrologic cycle, the continuous circulation of Earth’s water among oceans, atmosphere, land, and living things. Water evaporates from oceans and other surfaces, rises as water vapor, and condenses into clouds. It then falls as precipitation, returning water to the surface where it can run off across the land, infiltrate into soil to replenish groundwater, or be taken up by plants and released again through transpiration. Groundwater moves slowly through underground layers called aquifers, and this water can eventually discharge back to rivers, lakes, or the ocean, continuing the cycle. This cycle links all major reservoirs—oceans, land, and air—and explains how water is redistributed globally. The other terms point to specific parts of groundwater systems or to human use, not the global movement of water described by the cycle.