Final answer:
In addition to the atmosphere, the water cycle encompasses the oceans, glaciers and ice caps, groundwater, lakes, and rivers as reservoirs. Oceans hold the vast majority of Earth's water, whereas glaciers and ice caps are the main stores of freshwater. Groundwater, rivers, and lakes, although smaller in volume, are significant parts of the water cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
Another reservoir for the water cycle, aside from the atmosphere, is oceans. However, water is stored in various forms and locations. Lakes, rivers, glaciers and ice caps, and groundwater are all crucial components of the water cycle. Each has a role to play in the storage and movement of water around the planet.
Oceans are the largest reservoir of Earth's water, containing about 97% of all water, but it is mostly saline and not directly usable by humans. Freshwater, essential for life, is mostly stored in glaciers and ice caps. These ice-bound stores account for the majority of Earth's freshwater reserves, but they are mostly located in distant and inaccessible regions like Antarctica and Greenland. Groundwater is another significant source, representing the largest reservoir of usable fresh water, despite often being out of sight beneath the Earth's surface. Rivers and lakes, while visually prominent, hold only a small fraction of the world's freshwater.
The water cycle is an intricate system powered by the sun, involving the continuous circulation of water within the Earth's hydrosphere. The sun's energy promotes the evaporation of water from oceans and other water bodies, and sublimation from glaciers and ice. This water vapor ascends, condenses into clouds, and falls back to Earth as precipitation, continuing the cycle.