Global water cycling

Contact: Kevin Trenberth
trenbert@ucar.edu

The Global Water and Energy Exchanges (GEWEX) Project is an international scientific project focusing on all aspects of water, and its overarching science questions include how changes in land surface and hydrology may influence changes in water availability and security.

As one of the primary influences on humans and their environments, the global water cycle encompasses the continuous journey of water as it moves between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere, and beneath the Earth’s surface. Clouds, precipitation, water vapor, surface radiation, aerosols, and other phenomena each play a role in the cycle.

Many GEWEX scientists conduct research on those and other elements to help fine-tune our understanding of them and their impact on the climate. GEWEX also points out important gaps in knowledge and implements ways to fix those gaps, whether through new studies, reviews of datasets, gatherings of experts, or other opportunities.