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Environmental Science

The Global Water Cycle and Its Local Variations

Quick fact

A single water molecule can spend thousands of years locked in a glacier, but only days in the atmosphere—meaning local weather is essentially a snapshot of the water cycle in its fastest phase.

Why this is interesting

Every drop of water you drink has been on an epic journey across the planet, yet your local water cycle can be wildly different from a distant region's. Why does the same global loop behave so differently from place to place?