Precipitation As It Relates To The Hydrologic (Water Cycle) | Definition, Importance, Uses, Process
The moisture that falls from the atmosphere as rain, snow, sleet or hail is known as precipitation. Precipitation varies in amount, intensity and form by reason and geographic location. These factors impact whether water will flow into streams or infiltrate into the soil.
In most parts of the world, records are kept of snow and rainfall. This record keeping allows scientists to determine average rainfall for a location as well as classify rain storms based on duration, intensity and average return period. This information is crucial for crop management as well as engineering design of water control structures and control of flood.
The water vapour may condense back into liquid, and in so doing, released latent heat which is converted into sensible heat that warms the surrounding air. This warming fuels the uplift of air to help promote adiabatic cooling and further condensation.
As droplets of water coalesce in larger droplets, they attain a size big enough to fall towards the earth’s surface as precipitation.
While located high in the atmosphere, they possess a high degree of potential energy that is converted into kinetic energy that is converted into kinetic energy once they begin to fall towards the earth surface.
On making impact with the earth surface, they convert their kinetic energy into work done on the earth (e.g. erosion).
Rather than condensing and precipitating directly back into the ocean, water vapour may be transported to some other locations where it condenses and precipitates out.
Also Read: Hydrological Cycle: What Is Water Cycle As It Relates To Engineering?
