Water and energy cycles

Abstract

The global hydrological cycle consisting of oceans, water vapor in the atmosphere, and terrestrial water, is essential to the Earth system. The cycle is closed by the exchange of water and energy fluxes between these reservoirs. Although the amounts of water in the atmosphere and river channels are relatively small, their fluxes are large, and hence a critical role in society, which is dependent on water as a renewable resource. The ultimate goal of the hydrological science is to enhance the understanding of global water and energy cycles on various spatial and temporal scales through monitoring and modeling, and the outcomes should also be beneficial and accessible to other scientific disciplines, the general public, and the decision makers.