What is atmospheric precipitation and how are they distributed around our planet?

Probably, even the child will say what the precipitation is like. Rain, snow, hail ... That is the moisture that falls from the sky to the ground. However, not everyone can clearly tell where this water comes from. It is clear that from the clouds (although this is also not a firm rule), but whence do clouds arise in the sky? To understand the reason and nature of showers, rains and snowfalls passing over our heads, we need to form an idea of the exchange of ash-two-on planet Earth.

Evaporation of water occurs from the surface of the oceans and seas under the influence of the sun . Invisible to the eye of steam rises upwards, where it gathers into clouds and clouds. The wind carries them to the continents, where precipitation falls out of them. Heavenly moisture falls to the ground, into rivers and lakes, seeps into groundwater, feeding springs. In turn, numerous streams, small rivers and large streams flow into the seas and oceans. Thus, the Earth's moisture turnover takes place-the constant circulation of water in its various physical states: vaporous, liquid and solid.

It will be erroneous to assume that atmospheric precipitation must necessarily fall from the sky. In some cases, they act on objects like dew, frost or hoarfrost, and even rise from below upwards like fog. This is due to the condensation of steam in the cold, moisture-saturated air. If the water body is warmer than the air above it, the evaporating H2O molecules immediately condense - form a fog or clouds that carry rain. If the sea is colder than air, the reverse process occurs: the ice masses of water absorb the moisture from the air like a sponge, drying it.

This explains the fact that atmospheric precipitation falls extremely unevenly throughout the Earth. The warm current of the Gulf Stream carries heated streams from the Caribbean Sea to the far north of Iceland. Getting into the cold air, the moisture is intensively released and forms clouds, thereby forming the marine climate of Western Europe. And the western coasts of Africa, Australia and South America are the opposite process: cold currents dry the tropical air masses and form deserts, for example, Namib.

The average amount of precipitation on the planet is about 1000 mm per year, but there are regions where the moisture falls much more, and there are places where rains do not happen every year. Thus, the deserts receive water less than 50 mm in 365 days, and the record for the abundance of heavenly moisture is Chararapunja in India, which is located on the windward slopes of the Himalayas at an altitude of more than one km above sea level - there rains 12,000 millimeters per square meter per year . In some places, precipitation is unevenly distributed over seasons. For example, in the subequatorial climate there are only two seasons: dry and wet. In the Northern Hemisphere, from November to May, there is a bucket, while in the remaining 6 months there are showers. In the dry period, only 7% of the annual rate falls.

How is the amount of celestial moisture released measured? For this purpose, there are special instruments on meteorological stations - precipitation meters and pluviographs. This cup is the size of 1 square meter, in which all the heavenly moisture falls, including solid atmospheric precipitation - snow, powder, hail, snow groats and ice needles. Special side walls prevent blowing and increased evaporation of the water falling into the bowl. The sensors record the height of accumulated precipitation: during one shower, a day, a month and a year. To calculate the level of humidification of large areas, the radar method is used.