Earth’s Water Cycle

Water is the fundamental ingredient for life on Earth. Looking at our Earth from space, with its vast and deep ocean, it appears as though there is an abundance of water for our use.
However, only a small portion of Earth’s water is accessible for our needs. How much fresh water exists and where it is stored affects us all. This animation uses Earth science data from a variety of sensors on NASA Earth observing satellites as well as cartoons to describe Earth’s water cycle and the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

Sensors on a suite of NASA satellites observe and measure water on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere. These measurements are important to understanding the availability and distribution of Earth’s water — vital to life and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on a growing world population.

NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information Systems (EOSDIS)

EOSDIS is a distributed system of twelve data centers and science investigator processing systems. EOSDIS processes, archives, and distributes data from Earth observing satellites, field campaigns, airborne sensors, and related Earth science programs. These data enable the study of Earth from space to advance scientific understanding.

For more information about the data sets used in this animation please visit: http://earthdata.nasa.gov