Precipitation in the
form of rain occurs when particles of
water are large enough to reach the ground.
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THE ANSWERS: When can it occur?
What temperature does it have to be?
What seasons can it occur in?
When does it happen most often?
What does it look like?
What happens after it falls to the ground?
How is it different from the other 3 forms?
When clouds develop or rain occurs,
something is making the air rise. Several things can make this
happen. Mountains, low-pressure areas, cold fronts, and even the jet
stream.
Raindrops are much smaller than we think!
They are actually smaller than a centimeter. Raindrops range from
1/100 inch (.0254 centimeter) to 1/4 inch (.635 centimeter) in
diameter.
Clouds that are flat and look like
blankets in the sky are called stratus. Rain can also fall
from stratus clouds.
If rain is a steady drizzle which lasts for a while, it most likely
comes from stratus clouds.
We will never have any
more water in our world. All the water we now have is all we will
ever have, but that is okay. The water that is in our lakes, rivers,
oceans, seas, and even our swimming pools, will "evaporate." That
means it will rise up into the sky.
We can't see it when it does this. When it goes into the sky, it
makes the clouds. The clouds move. They may move over another part
of the land. Finally, they will be so full of water they will need
to let some of it go. So, to let the water go, they rain.
The water in the clouds comes down on us. It hits the ground and
some soaks into the dirt. Some runs back into the rivers, lakes,
oceans, seas, and even our swimming pools. Some of the rain soaks
deep into the dirt, way down into the earth.
We use wells to bring that water back up, so we can use it. It is
the water that comes from out of the pipes in our house. We use it,
and then it goes down the drain.
From the drain, it goes into our septic tank deep in our yard, or
into the sewer. From the septic tank, it soaks back into the ground.
If it is in the sewer, it will come out somewhere, like the ocean or
a sewage pond.
Then it will evaporate again, and it will fill up the clouds again.
When the clouds are full, it will rain again.
Rain water is clean and pure. As it soaks into the ground or is
evaporated, it is cleaned by the ground or the air.
So, you see, we use the same water over and over again! The water is
being “recycled” in a very natural way!
When clouds develop or rain occurs,
something is making the air rise. Several things can make this
happen. Mountains, low-pressure areas, cold fronts, and even the jet
stream.