The hydrologic cycle can best be described as:

The hydrologic cycle is fundamentally understood as nature's way of recycling water. This cycle encompasses various processes including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and the flow of water through rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. Water continuously moves from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back again, playing a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting life.

In this cycle, water evaporates from bodies of water into the atmosphere, where it condenses into clouds and eventually falls back to Earth as precipitation in the form of rain or snow. Once it reaches the ground, it either returns to larger water bodies or infiltrates the soil, contributing to groundwater supplies. This ongoing process ensures that water is constantly cycled and available for various uses, highlighting its essential role in the environment.

The other options do not accurately reflect the essence of the hydrologic cycle. While water purification is indeed vital, it is a separate process with specific technologies involved. Measuring distances pertains to surveying or geographic practices, which is unrelated to the hydrologic process. The notion of water running into the ocean is merely a part of the larger hydrologic cycle and does not encompass the entire system of water movement and recycling as a whole. Thus, describing the hydrologic cycle as