After the precipitation reaches the surface of Earth, it does one of four things. It can either be absorbed by plants, percolate through the soil to become ground water, run off the surface into streams and rivers–becoming surface water and eventually flowing into the oceans , or evaporate.
What can happen to precipitation?
For precipitation to happen, first tiny water droplets must condense on even tinier dust, salt, or smoke particles , which act as a nucleus. ... If enough collisions occur to produce a droplet with a fall velocity which exceeds the cloud updraft speed, then it will fall out of the cloud as precipitation.
What 4 things can happen to precipitation?
Some of it evaporates, returning to the atmosphere; some seeps into the ground as soil moisture or groundwater; and some runs off into rivers and streams .
What has to happen for precipitation to fall?
Particles of dust or smoke in the atmosphere are essential for precipitation. These particles, called “condensation nuclei,” provide a surface for water vapor to condense upon. This helps water droplets gather together and become large enough to fall to the Earth.
What are the 3 things that can happen to precipitation once it hits the ground?
Once on the land, rainfall either seeps into the ground or becomes runoff , which flows into rivers and lakes.
Is fog a precipitation?
Precipitation. Precipitation fog forms as precipitation falls into cold , drier air below the cloud and evaporates into water vapor. The water vapor cools and at the dew point it condenses. When it condenses, it creates fog.
What are the 8 types of precipitation?
- Rain. Most commonly observed, drops larger than drizzle (0.02 inch / 0.5 mm or more) are considered rain. ...
- Drizzle. Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of fine drops very close together. ...
- Ice Pellets (Sleet) ...
- Hail. ...
- Small Hail (Snow Pellets) ...
- Snow. ...
- Snow Grains. ...
- Ice Crystals.
At what precipitation does it rain?
Light rain — when the precipitation rate is < 2.5 mm (0.098 in) per hour. Moderate rain — when the precipitation rate is between 2.5 mm (0.098 in) – 7.6 mm (0.30 in) or 10 mm (0.39 in) per hour. Heavy rain — when the precipitation rate is > 7.6 mm (0.30 in) per hour, or between 10 mm (0.39 in) and 50 mm (2.0 in) per ...
Where is precipitation most likely to occur?
The regions of highest rainfall are found in the equatorial zone and the monsoon area of Southeast Asia . Middle latitudes receive moderate amounts of precipitation, but little falls in the desert regions of the subtropics and around the poles. Global distribution of mean annual rainfall (in centimetres).
How does precipitation affect climate?
Global Climate Change. comes from precipitation. Too little precipitation can result in dry soil, shallow streams, and shortages of municipal water supplies . ... For example, too much rain or snowmelt (water from melted snow) at one time can lead to flooding.
At what temperature does precipitation occur?
Rain: Rain made of liquid water droplets falls when temperatures in the air and at the surface are above freezing (32°F, 0°C) .
What is precipitation kid friendly definition?
Kids Definition of precipitation
: water that falls to the earth as hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow .
What is a cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by artificially adding condensation nuclei to the atmosphere, providing a base for for snowflakes or raindrops to form.
Is 1 to 2 inches of rain a lot?
1/2 (0.5) of an inch of rain – A light rain never reaches this amount, moderate rain for 1-2 hours or heavy rain for 30-45 minutes. ... One (1.00) inch of rain – A light moderate rain never reaches this amount, heavy rain for several hours (2-5 hours). There would be deep standing water for long periods of time.
How much does 1 inch of rain raise a lake?
For this particular event, though, and given the particular antecedent conditions, we come up with the following ratios. For Falls Lake, we saw about a 2.6 inch rise for each inch of rain .
How much is a lot of rain?
Slight rain: Less than 0.5 mm per hour. Moderate rain: Greater than 0.5 mm per hour, but less than 4.0 mm per hour. Heavy rain: Greater than 4 mm per hour, but less than 8 mm per hour . Very heavy rain: Greater than 8 mm per hour.
