At which stage of the water cycle does water return to Earth in the form of rain or snow ?
It's condensation
At which stage of the water cycle does water return to Earth in the form of rain or snow ?
Water returns to Earth in the form of rain or snow during a stage of the water cycle known as "precipitation." To understand this, let's go through the different stages of the water cycle:
1. Evaporation: The first stage occurs when the Sun's heat causes water from various sources like oceans, lakes, and rivers to evaporate. Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas and rises into the atmosphere.
2. Condensation: As the water vapor rises, it cools down and begins to condense into tiny water droplets or ice crystals. This process forms clouds in the atmosphere. Condensation occurs because the cooler temperatures at higher altitudes cannot hold as much moisture as heat.
3. Precipitation: Once the water droplets or ice crystals in the clouds become too heavy to remain suspended, they fall back to the Earth's surface as precipitation. Precipitation can take several different forms, including rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
4. Collection: Finally, the precipitated water collects in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans or can be absorbed by the ground to replenish soil moisture or groundwater. This completes the water cycle, and the process continues as water evaporates again.
Therefore, in the stage of precipitation, water returns to Earth in the form of rain or snow.