Which are parts of the hydrologic cycle?

• A. Condensation, evaporation, precipitation, groundwater infiltration
• B. Photosynthesis, Respiration, Decomposition
• C. Tides and Currents
• D. Rock Weathering

Answer: (A)

The hydrologic cycle tracks water moving through air, surface water, soil, and groundwater, driven by energy from the sun and gravity. Evaporation turns liquid water into vapor and lifts it into the atmosphere; condensation then changes that vapor back into liquid as clouds form; precipitation returns water to the surface as rain, snow, or hail; and groundwater infiltration lets water seep downward from the surface into soils and aquifers. These steps show how water circulates continuously between oceans, land, and the atmosphere, storing and transporting it at various places and times.

The other options pull in processes from different systems: biological processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition belong to the carbon and energy cycles; tides and currents describe ocean movement rather than a direct water-cycle pathway; and rock weathering relates to long-term geochemical cycles that influence water chemistry but are not primary steps of the hydrologic cycle.