What is the definition of precipitation in the water cycle?
Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth. It comes in many forms, like rain, sleet, and snow. Precipitation forms in the clouds when water vapor condenses into bigger and bigger droplets of water.
What part of the water cycle is fog?
Fog develops when air having a relatively high humidity comes in contact with a colder surface, often the Earth’s surface, and cools to the dew point. Additional cooling leads to condensation and the growth of low-level clouds. Fog that develops when warmer air moves over a colder surface is known as advective fog.
What is meant by condensation?
Condensation is the process where water vapor becomes liquid. It is the reverse of evaporation, where liquid water becomes a vapor. Condensation happens one of two ways: Either the air is cooled to its dew point or it becomes so saturated with water vapor that it cannot hold any more water.
How does evaporation occur in the water cycle?
Evaporation happens when a liquid substance becomes a gas. When water is heated, it evaporates. The molecules move and vibrate so quickly that they escape into the atmosphere as molecules of water vapor. Evaporation is a very important part of the water cycle. Heat from the sun, or solar energy, powers the evaporation process.
Do you include evaporation in the definition of evapotranspiration?
But, since we have a Web page just about evaporation, our definition of evapotranspiration will not include evaporation from surface water.
Which is the opposite of the process of evaporation?
Boiling-hot water will evaporate quickly as steam. Evaporation is the opposite of condensation , the process of water vapor turning into liquid water. Boiling water evaporates into thin air.
How is the water cycle related to meteorology?
The water cycle, the continuous movement of water from ocean to air and land then back to the ocean in a cyclic pattern, is a central concept in meteorology. In the water cycle, the sun heats the Earth’s surface water, causing that surface water to evaporate (gas).