What are the main components of the hydrological cycle?

The main components of the hydrological cycle are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

The hydrological cycle, also known as the water cycle, is a continuous process by which water circulates between the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land. This cycle involves the exchange of energy, which leads to temperature changes. The main components of this cycle are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state. This process occurs when heat energy from the sun causes water in the oceans, rivers, lakes, and even puddles on the street, to transform into water vapour. This water vapour then rises into the atmosphere.

Transpiration is the process by which water is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapour and is released to the atmosphere. It is essentially evaporation of water from plant leaves. Transpiration also includes a process called guttation, which is the loss of water in liquid form from the uninjured leaf or stem of the plant, usually when the plant has adequate soil water supply and transpiration is suppressed by a humid environment.

Condensation is the process by which water vapour in the air is changed into liquid water. It's crucial to the formation of clouds, and it's the reverse of evaporation. Condensation generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools and looses its capacity to hold water vapour. As a result, excess water vapour condenses to form cloud droplets.

Precipitation is the process by which water (in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky. It occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of precipitation.

Lastly, runoff is the process by which water moves across the land surface and drains into rivers, streams, and eventually the oceans. This can occur naturally from rain or snowmelt, or artificially from irrigation or other human activities. Runoff is an important component of the water cycle because it is the primary way that water in the sky comes back to Earth.