Question

In what ways does precipitation occur on the earth?

Answer 1

 Precipitation occurs when water falls as a solid or liquid from the clouds to the earth's surface. The most common types of precipitation are snow, hailstorms, and rainfall.

1. Snow: When the temperature in the atmosphere falls below the freezing point, water vapour directly turns into snowflakes. This is called sublimation. Here, the vapour in the form of gas transforms into solid snow. Precipitation in the form of solid particles of snow is known as snowfall.
2. Hail: When there is lot of heat on the earth’s surface, the upward air flow blows at a greater speed. Because of this upward flow, the temperature of the air reduces and the condensation of the water vapour takes place. Dark clouds are formed. Because of the upward movement of air, these water droplets go to a higher altitude. Here, solidification of these droplets occur and hailstones are formed.
3. Rainfall: We get water generally in the form of rainfall. The temperature of the air with water vapour reduces when it goes higher and condensation of the vapour occurs. Clouds formed with the condensed water droplets and dust particles accumulate. As these water droplets increase in the size, they cannot float in the air anymore because of their weight. They come down as rainfall.