How does precipitation return to the water cycle?
Most precipitation falls back into the oceans or onto land, where, due to gravity, the precipitation flows over the ground as surface runoff. A portion of runoff enters rivers in valleys in the landscape, with streamflow moving water towards the oceans.
Is water that falls to the ground as rain?
Precipitation is water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail. It is the primary connection in the water cycle that provides for the delivery of atmospheric water to the Earth. Most precipitation falls as rain.
Is water lost in the water cycle?
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. Almost all of the water eventually flows into the oceans or other bodies of water, where the cycle continues.
How does water fall as rain?
Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain. Water vapor turns into clouds when it cools and condenses—that is, turns back into liquid water or ice.
What is relief rainfall?
Relief rainfall occurs when warm moist air from the Atlantic Ocean rises up over mountains. When the warm air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds, which bring rain. This creates drier conditions known as a rain shadow .
How much of the rain falls back on land?
Through Earth’ s water cycle, about 10 percent of ocean water eventually falls back on land as rain.
Where does the water go in the water cycle?
The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans,
Why is precipitation important to the water cycle?
Precipitation is a vital component of how water moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting the ocean, land, and atmosphere. Knowing where it rains, how much it rains and the character of the falling rain, snow or hail allows scientists to better understand precipitation’s impact on streams, rivers, surface runoff and groundwater.
How much water falls on land each year?
About 100 trillion tons of water falls on land each year, compared to 400 trillion tons over the oceans. Watch how water vapor moves through the atmosphere and returns to Earth as rain and snow in the visualizations below—first on a globe and then on a map of the entire world.