Water cycle questions? surface water evaporates into the plants take up water from the soil, and water evaporates from leaf surfaces into the atmosphere through . water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to liquid and precipitates to the ground in the form of and snow melts, and both snowmelt and rain run off the surface toward bodies of water or percolate into the ground. groundwater (water under the ground) flows downhill to collect in ; flows to the surface in springs; or flows into rivers, lakes, streams, or oceans.