Water Cycle
The water cycle is one of the most important natural processes that help in the circulation of water all through the soil and air in the form of rain and snow, drainage and evaporation as well as precipitation. The processes of nature are always in balance, and this is why these cycles play such an important role in regulating the Earth’s climate.
Rain is one of the most common ways through which water is added back into the soil from the atmosphere. These natural processes need to be in sync so that the ecological balance does not go out of hand.
What is Rain?
Rain is droplets of water in the form of liquid which are condensed from water vapour present in the atmosphere and fall down on the ground under gravity when they become heavy. It is the major component of the water cycle process and helps in depositing fresh water on the Earth which is essential for living organisms for survival, producing electricity via hydroelectric power plants and irrigating crops.
Rain is nothing but the condensed water from the atmosphere becoming too heavy to stay in the air any longer. It falls from clouds back into the earth, seeps into the soil and starts the rain cycle all over again.
Explaining the Water Cycle
Consider water that is available in the soil at the surface. When the sun shines, the heat from the sun makes this water turn into vapour. The water becomes light and thus, it gets evaporated and slowly finds its way into the atmosphere from the soil.
Once it starts getting away from the soil, the temperature starts to cool down. This makes the water vapour turn heavier than it was when it evaporated. The cool temperature then turns clusters of these water vapour particles into clouds, which is known as condensation.
Clouds grow in size until they are too big and too heavy to contain all the condensation. In that case, the water falls back as rain into the soil, the resultant process being known as precipitation. Therefore, the cycle essentially never breaks and continues through time.
What are the Various Processes of the Water Cycle?
As we have explained here, every step of the water cycle is accompanied by a natural process that deals with water turning to vapour or to liquid. The following processes are involved in the water cycle mainly:
Evaporation
It is the process where some of the liquid water from lakes, rivers and ocean turns into vapour and travels in the atmosphere, with the help of sunlight. The air rises in the atmosphere and gets cooler and under less pressure, it is unable to hold much water so the vapour turns into small water droplets or ice crystals to form a cloud.
Condensation
The dust and pollen particles present in the topmost air help in condensation where water vapours condense into water droplets .Condensation nuclei is a term used to describe the dust, pollen or other particles that assist in forming clouds and in the process of rain.
Formation of Clouds in Different Ways
Some clouds form when air warms up near the Earth’s surface and rises. The heat by sunshine helps in heating the ground and air just above it that starts to rise and form clouds.
Some clouds known as lenticular and stratus clouds are formed when wind is blown into the sides of mountain range or terrain and it is forced upward to move higher in the atmosphere. This aids in forming clouds.
Some clouds form when the air is forced upward at low pressure areas. This process leads to the formation of all types of clouds including altocumulus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, cirrocumulus and stratus clouds.
Why is Rain Important?
The importance of water and the proper working of the water cycle is of utmost importance, because it can lead to significant ecological changes even if thrown off-balance a little bit. Rainfall is very important because:
Plants grow with the help of rain showers. No plant will be able to grow without water from rain.
Rain is the major component of the water cycle that helps in depositing most of the freshwater on the Earth. It supports many types of ecosystems and helps in survival.
It provides water for hydroelectric plants to generate electricity.
It is very helpful for crops to grow as it is a means of crop irrigation on the large fields.
It helps in sustaining water level in the ground.
Humans make use of the rain water to store and later use it for bathing, cooking, cleaning and drinking. It is called rain harvesting. This process helps in reducing water bills as it provides an alternative supply of water during restrictions and also maintains a healthy and clean garden. There are various filtering options to clean up rain water for direct usage.
Rain helps in cooling the atmosphere and helps in reducing the intense temperature of the Earth. Therefore, it is a great relief when it rains during the Summer season.
It helps in humidifying the air and replenishing the water table.
It helps in generating healthy negative ions.
It redistributes the fresh water via a water cycle.
We can enjoy the beauty of rain when it is just drizzling.
It is one of the most important natural phenomena that makes life possible on Earth as agriculture and forest depend on rain which are ultimately the basic requirements for humans. Thus, it helps in generating food as well as supplying water.
FAQs on Rain
1. What plays an important role in the formation of rain?
Sun is the major source of energy which plays an important role in the rain formation by the process of evaporation. When rays of sunlight hit a lake or sea, the water rises up in the form of vapours and condenses up in the air as the temperature is colder. This is known as condensation. The water particles are really colder and join together to form clouds full of small droplets. These drops grow bigger and bigger and when these are heavy, they fall out of the cloud in the form of rain.
2. What is the water cycle?
Water cycle is the process which is responsible to a great extent that answers ‘How does Rain Occur’. It is a hydrological cycle that involves regular circulation of water in various states of matter. It takes place in the following manner:
Water gets evaporated in the form of water vapour i.e. it changes from liquid to gaseous state.
Water is absorbed back into the earth’s atmosphere from plants, other living organisms and trees.
Sublimation occurs where ice and snow gets converted into gas without entering into the liquid state.
Formation of clouds occurs as water is converted back into a liquid state.
Water in different forms, dust, pollen and other particles in the atmosphere facilitate the formation of clouds through various movements.
Precipitation falls in the form of rain, snow, drizzle etc., and the cycle continues.
This is how rain occurs and now you can explain all the factors and phenomenon what causes rain.
3. How is precipitation important in the water cycle?
Precipitation refers to rainfall. When water vapour molecules rise up into the air due to their weight, they tend to get together in clusters. At a certain level in the atmosphere, when the air turns colder, these condense to form clouds and the water gets stored in the clouds. When the cloud becomes too heavy with condensed water vapour, it releases all the water back into the soil in the form of precipitation of rain. This then brings back the water to the soil and starts the process all over again.
4. In case the water cycle stopped operating, what would be the result?
As we have understood, this is one of the most important natural processes that sustain life on earth. In case this process was to stop totally, in a hypothetical situation, it would indicate water scarcity on earth and a series of droughts. The water cycle is more important than we think because this sustains the life of all creatures on earth by constantly turning water into vapour and then back into the rain. If this were to stop all of a sudden, then life on earth would become very difficult.
5. What does infiltration in the water cycle mean?
Infiltration refers to the process through which rain that has fallen to the surface of the earth, seeps into the soil and fills up the groundwater basin. The water cycle extends underneath the soil as well, since there is a reserve of freshwater that is replenished every time it rains. The soil absorbs the water and stores it under the ground. This process is also very important in the water cycle and is known as infiltration. It helps in maintaining the groundwater reserves.
6. How is the sun important for the water cycle?
The sun is the basic source of energy for everything in the world. It is because of the sun that the water cycle initiates and continues. The heat from the sun is the reason why the surface water droplets get turned into water vapour, which then rises up into the earth’s atmosphere. Then it falls as rain, and then the sun’s heat again turns them into water vapour, essentially, making the process go on and on. without the sun, this whole process would never have begun.
7. Do animals and living beings play a role in the water cycle?
Certainly, all living beings contribute to the water cycle in some way. One of the commonest is through sweating and evaporation. Taking the example of humans, all human beings release sweat into their skin. They may not feel it, but the sweat at the surface of the skin slowly starts getting evaporated into the atmosphere, and this leads to condensation and then precipitation. Even breathing regulates a part of the water cycle, and all living beings breathe; as do tasks such as urination.
