The adventures of a water droplet, or the water cycle

Hey, young readers! Have you ever wondered how drops of water traverse the world and glide through oceans, clouds, rivers and glaciers? If not, you have the perfect opportunity to do so. You are invited to join us on an expedition with the Droplet as part of the water cycle in nature.

Water is an essential ingredient for life on Earth. It is the only substance that can have three states of aggregation. You can read about its extraordinary properties in the article "Why water is essential for life on Earth". 

Let's start with the ocean - this is where our Droplet lives. The sun falls on the Earth and warms it, causing warm and moist air to rise from the land and bodies of water, including the oceans, and our Droplet begins to evaporate and change into water vapour, floating in the air. 

The droplet rises higher and higher, joining with other droplets to become part of the cloud. It's chilly in the cloud, brrrr. It gets even colder and the Droplet freezes, forming an ice crystal that falls to Earth in the form of a snowflake until it falls onto a glacier. The Droplet, frozen in this way, moves with the glacier at a slow pace downwards for many years. The warmer months come and the glacier melts, releasing the Droplet back into the ocean. Is this the end? No, it is just the beginning. Here, under the influence of the sun's rays, the Droplet evaporates again and floats with the other droplets to form a cloud. 

When the cloud, which moves due to the force of the wind, reaches over land it gets heavy, then the Droplet falls as a raindrop. It flies at high speed, racing against the other drops. Eventually it falls on a tree leaf. From there, it flows to the ground and penetrates the soil, flowing through layer upon layer of soil, irrigating plants along the way. 

Eventually, she reaches a stream, which continues to lead her to the river. There she swims with a calm current until she reaches the lake. Here she enjoys a moment of rest, where she can admire the beautiful plants and numerous animals. The next stage of the journey is again the river, through which the Droplet speeds up and swims again to the ocean. 

This is precisely an example of the cycle that is constantly taking place on our planet. Through this, water circulates in nature, thus ensuring that the Earth is green and full of life.