"USGCRP Program Elements include:

. . . 6. The Global Water Cycle, with a focus on improving our understanding of the movement of water through the land, atmosphere, and ocean, and on how global change may increase or decrease regional water availability."

". . .The study of the global water cycle is the unifying theme that can bridge the gap in the spatial-scale spectrum between atmospheric and hydrological sciences. This issue is in its first year and will be implemented through coordinated U.S. and international programs. Planning is underway to develop joint interagency programs in the U.S. and coordination with international programs [e.g., the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX), the Program on Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR), Biological Aspects of the Hydrologic Cycle (BAHC), and potentially a more fully coordinated international Hydrology and Water Cycle Program]. The primary goal of this research is a greater understanding of the seasonal, annual, and interannual mean state and variability of water and energy cycles at continental-to-global scales, and thus a greater understanding of the interactions among the terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic hydrosphere in the Earth's climate system. This understanding will be achieved through a combination of observations, modeling, and analysis at a range of spatial and temporal scales, and will provide the foundation for understanding the relationship between weather and climate. . . . An important element of the research program is a quantitative assessment of the improved understanding for weather prediction and for water and environmental management. In addition, advances in understanding the relationships between hydrologic processes and climate will lead directly to better inferences regarding climate change and its subsequent hydrologic impacts at regional-to-global scales."