Final answer:
The water cycle, essential for distributing Earth's fresh water, is impacted by climate change, causing shifts in precipitation patterns, affecting water availability and increasing storm frequency and severity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, encapsulates the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the Earth's surface. It is principally driven by solar energy, which causes evaporation and sublimation, and by gravity, which drives the flow of water back to the oceans through various processes.
These processes include condensation into clouds and eventual precipitation in the form of rain or snow, which replenishes fresh water sources on land and contributes to surface runoff and subsurface water flow.
Currently, the water cycle is experiencing changes due to global warming. These alterations lead to variations in seasonality and the amount and type of precipitation, impacting the availability of soil water, river flow, and overall water accessibility.
Furthermore, the retreat of glaciers and changes in lake ice cover are clear indicators of the ongoing changes in the water cycle. Scientists also predict an increase in storm frequency and severity as climate change progresses, affecting the distribution and quality of fresh water supplies.