The fundamental aspect of this investigative project dealt mostly with the concepts and facts regarding the hydrologic cycle. The hydrologic cycle consists of the earth's water budget, evaporation, condensation, transport, precipitation, transpiration, groundwater, and runoff. The annual precipitation for the earth is more than 30 times the atmosphere's total capacity to hold water.
Evaporation is defined as the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas.
Evaporation is important to the hydrologic cycle because upper level winds transport this water vapor around the globe, influencing relative humidity levels worldwide. Condensation, however, is the opposite of evaporation, that is, it is the process by which water changes from a gas to a liquid. Condensation generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools and looses its capacity to hold water vapor. The basic transport of water from the surface upward is referred to as convection. Convection results from solar heating at the surface, which induces thermals.