Where does the water cycle begin and end?

The water cycle begins with the evaporation of ground water and ends with precipitation. There are three steps to the water cycle.

Because the Earth's surface is made up of 70 percent water, it is natural for some of that water to evaporate. Roughly 85 percent of evaporation occurs from the world's oceans. Once evaporated, the water condenses in the second part of the water cycle. The vapor condenses back into water that either seeps into the ground or rises up into clouds. Once the clouds become heavy with water, rain or other forms of precipitation falls. The water cycle never stops. It is a continuous process that constantly recycles the Earth's water supply.