The water cycle as a concept was developed over many centuries, with early ideas dating back to ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaxagoras and Aristotle around 460 to 350 BCE. However, the first modern scientific assertion that rainfall alone was sufficient to sustain rivers and thus explained the water cycle was made by Bernard Palissy in 1580. His theory was later tested and confirmed by Pierre Perrault in 1674 with careful observations, which marked the beginning of modern scientific hydrology. Full acceptance of the water cycle concept in mainstream science came in the early 19th century with further contributions, including John Dalton around 1800, who properly described the large-scale hydrological cycle mechanisms.
Key historical figures:
- Ancient Greeks (460–350 BCE): early ideas about the water cycle as a closed system, including evaporation and precipitation.
- Bernard Palissy (1580): first to assert that rainfall alone sustains rivers, discovering the modern theory of the water cycle.
- Pierre Perrault (1674): scientifically confirmed Palissy's theory through observations.
- John Dalton (around 1800): provided a comprehensive scientific description of the hydrological cycle.
Thus, Bernard Palissy is often credited as the discoverer of the modern water cycle theory, while earlier thinkers contributed foundational ideas.
