The system that moves water around the planet is increasingly ‘erratic and extreme,’ new report finds
The global water cycle has become “increasingly erratic and extreme” with wild swings between droughts and floods, spelling big trouble for economies and societies, according to a report published Thursday by the World Meteorological Organization. The water cycle refers to the complex system by which water moves around the Earth. It evaporates from the ground — including from lakes and rivers — and rises into the atmosphere, forming large streams of water vapor able to travel long distances, before eventually falling back down to Earth as rain or snow. Climate change, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, is upending this process.
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