The role of Sun in Condensation and Precipitation

Introduction

Water cycle is powered by the sun. The sun supplies energy or heat, which practically everything on the planet needs. Heat makes liquid water evaporate to gas (water vapor), that travels to high altitudes in the atmosphere to create clouds, clouds move around the world and dump rain. This is an essential aspect of the water cycle.

One of the critical processes in the cycle is evaporation, which is the transport of water from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere. Water in the liquid state is converted to the gaseous, or vapor, state via evaporation. When specific molecules in a water mass gain enough kinetic energy to dislodge themselves off the water surface, this transfer happens. Temperature, humidity, wind speed, and sun radiation are the primary elements influencing evaporation.

Sublimation is the direct conversion of a solid to a vapor caused by evaporation from snow and ice. The evaporation of water via minute holes, or stomata, in plant leaves is known as transpiration. In practice, transpiration and evaporation from all water, soils, snow, ice, plants, and other surfaces are combined and referred to as evapotranspiration, or total evaporation.

Role of Sun in Condensation and Precipitation

Water evaporates off the land’s surface and enters the atmosphere. Warm air transports water vapor to the higher atmosphere. Because of the low temperatures, it begins to cool there. Water particles huddle together when water vapor cools. They condense into extremely minute droplets of liquid water. Condensation is the procedure by which vapor transforms back into liquid. It is the inverse process of evaporation. The tiny droplets of water ultimately join together to create a cloud. Droplets that become big enough may drop to the Earth as rain.

White clouds in the sky appear to be a massive rush of vapor floating. Many people believe clouds are gas because they hover so far above the Earth. Clouds, on the other hand, are genuinely liquid water. Water vapor, or water in gas form, is invisible. Water vapor cannot be seen, but it can be felt when you hold your hand over a kettle of boiling water or go outdoors on a humid day. You can see clouds; therefore, you know they’re not water vapor. They are composed of very minute droplets of liquid water formed on dust particles floating in the atmosphere. The same may be said about steam and fog.

Water vapor condenses in the atmosphere, causing droplets to become more prominent and the cloud to become heavier. When the cloud grows too thick, the water droplets fall.

They return to Earth as precipitation. Rain, snow, hail, and sleet are all examples of rainfall. Water cycle is restarted when most of the water returns to the ocean.

Water that falls on land may travel in a variety of ways. It might flow off the ground and end up in lakes, rivers, and puddles. The Sun also heats these pools of water, and evaporation occurs. The Earth may absorb some precipitation. There is a strong possibility that a live creature will use it when this happens. A plant, for example, may absorb water from the Earth, whereas an animal may drink from a stream. Water is taken in and released by living organisms. Plants emit moisture into the atmosphere through their leaves. Animals excrete it via sweat and pee. The Sun’s energy causes the water to evaporate in both circumstances, continuing the water cycle.

Conclusion

Water cycle on Earth started around 3.8 billion years ago, when rain poured on a cooling Earth, producing the seas. The rain was caused by water vapor escaping from the Earth’s molten core into the sky. The sun’s energy assisted in powering the water cycle, while Earth’s gravity prevented water in the atmosphere from leaving the planet.

The oceans contain about 97 percent of  water on Earth. Polar ice caps and glaciers hold approximately 1.7 percent of the world’s water. Rivers, lakes, and soil all contain around 1.7 percent. Water vapor makes up a tiny part of the Earth’s atmosphere (about 0.001%).