The water cycle is powered primarily by energy from the Sun, which drives the evaporation of water from oceans, rivers, lakes, and soil, as well as transpiration from plants. This solar energy provides the latent heat needed to convert liquid water into water vapor, which then rises into the atmosphere. There, cooling causes condensation into clouds, and eventually precipitation returns water to the surface, continuing the cycle. Gravity also helps move water through rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric processes, sustaining circulation between oceans, land, and the atmosphere. In short, solar energy powers the cycle, with gravity and other physical processes (like transpiration, condensation, and evaporation) enabling the continuous movement of water among Earth's reservoirs.
If you’d like, I can tailor this to a specific aspect (e.g., the role of latent heat, how climate change affects the cycle, or how the cycle operates in arid vs. tropical regions) with concise explanations.
