All fresh water on Earth comes from which source?

• A. Precipitation
• B. Evaporation
• C. Condensation
• D. Transpiration

Answer: (A)

Fresh water on land comes from precipitation. When water from oceans and other surfaces evaporates, it rises and cools to form clouds; eventually it falls as rain or snow. That liquid water then fills rivers and lakes and can seep down to become groundwater. Evaporation and transpiration move water back into the atmosphere and condensation forms clouds, but they don’t directly add new liquid water to the freshwater reservoirs. Precipitation is the step that directly delivers fresh water to the land, replenishing the Earth’s usable supply.