Precipitation and the broader water cycle connect all four of Earth's interconnected spheres: the hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

Water moves continuously through these systems:

• Hydrosphere and Geosphere: Water evaporates from land surfaces and ocean bodies, and precipitation that falls on land collects in soil, rivers, and lakes, with much of it flowing downhill back into the oceans.
• Atmosphere: Evaporated water vapor rises into the air, cools, and condenses into rain or snow before falling back to the surface as precipitation.
• Biosphere: All living organisms require water to survive, and plants return water vapor back to the atmosphere through the process of transpiration.