What is the continuous exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere called?

The continuous exchange of water between the Earth and the atmosphere is known as the hydrologic cycle. This term encompasses all processes involving the movement of water in various forms, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. It highlights how water transitions between liquid, vapor, and solid states, and the ways it circulates through different environmental compartments, such as the atmosphere, oceans, rivers, and groundwater.

While the term "water cycle" is often used interchangeably with the hydrologic cycle, it is more accurately referred to as the hydrologic cycle in scientific contexts because this term emphasizes the comprehensive nature of water movement through the ecosystem. The other options, such as the rainfall cycle and precipitation cycle, describe specific aspects or components of the hydrologic cycle but do not capture the entire process, which is fundamental to understanding how water interacts within the environment.