Why does it rain

Large hail takes shape in these clouds because the upward motion keeps the ice suspended for an extended time, and the ice has a chance to build up.

Eventually, it has no choice but to fall. Of course, if the air motions are downward, the sky is clear and the weather is dry. Spells of bright weather are directly related to that subsiding motion. Instead of condensation taking place, evaporation occurs.

Ahead of a storm the air is rising, but after the storm passes the atmosphere is sinking, which is why skies clear soon after a storm center moves away. Subsidence is not without its weather headaches. If the atmosphere always sinks, desert conditions will prevail. The desert zones around the earth occur where the air is sinking.

Also, serious air-pollution levels appear when subsidence is present. Air pollutants are unable to rise through the stable atmosphere created by the subsidence. We can explain much about the weather just by knowing the nature of the atmosphere's vertical motion. Throughout the coming chapters, we take a look at the mechanisms that cause that upward and downward motion to occur.

But if you close this without learning anything else, be assured that you now understand a lot about meteorology. You know why it rains. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Weather Bring on the Rain Droplet to Drop? Braving the Elements How hard can it rain? Weather-Speak Subsidence is the sinking of air, usually associated with a high-pressure area.

See also:. Weather: Droplet to Drop? How Rain Happens. Trending Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about. The warmer the air, the more water it can hold. The warmer the oceans, the faster water evaporates from them. Surface winds also increase evaporation. Notice that after a rainstorm, the road dries faster if it is windy.

It caused freezing and ice that resulted in dangerous conditions across the United States on January 15, Satellites are important tools for atmospheric scientists and weather forecasters. Current weather satellites give scientists information about how clouds look from the top, and even how high they are. Credit: J. Together, these satellites provide images and other data about the atmosphere that enable meteorologists who study short-term weather and climatologists who study long-term climate change to study Earth water cycle.

Water and Ice. The Short Answer:. Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service.

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If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Freshwater is a precious resource on the Earth's surface. It is also home to many diverse fish, plant, and crustacean species.

The habitats that freshwater ecosystems provide consist of lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, streams, and springs. Use these classroom resources to help students explore and learn about these places. Weather is the state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloud cover. It differs from climate, which is all weather conditions for a particular location averaged over about 30 years.

Weather is influenced by latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography. It impacts the way people dress each day and the types of structures built. Explore weather and its impacts with this curated collection of classroom resources. Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls to the Earth. It is one of the three main steps of the global water cycle. Precipitation is any type of water that forms in the Earth's atmosphere and then drops onto the surface of the Earth.

Water vapor, droplets of water suspended in the air, builds up in the Earth's atmosphere before precipitating. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.

Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Some animals avoid the rain. Other animals, like these Canada geese, have adapted to downpours.

Photograph by Jamie Lee, MyShot. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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