Where Does The Rain Go? - Writing Sample
Uploaded by
Jeremy St-OngeWhere Does The Rain Go? - Writing Sample
Uploaded by
Jeremy St-OngeWhere Does The Rain Go?
Jeremy St-Onge
“Rain, rain go away... come again another day.”
We all know the familiar nursery rhyme, but where exactly does rain go, and how does it come
back? Today we're exploring what happens to rain after it falls.
Before we can look at where goes, let's rst nd out where rain comes from...
Humans have tried to predict the weather since the beginning of time. But there's one sure re
way to know it's going to rain. Cloudy weather! While there's always moisture and water
vapour in the atmosphere, rain needs to come from clouds.
Clouds are made up of rain. They consist of water droplets, frozen crystals, or water vapour. So
why isn't it CONSTANTLY raining whenever there are clouds out?
Rain needs a speci c set of conditions to fall. Since water vapour molecules are so light, they
remain suspended within the cloud. As the atmosphere cools, the molecules bind together until
they can no longer be held up by air resistance. When that happens... it's time to break out the
umbrella because you're going to get some precipitation.
Since it's so cold in the upper atmosphere, rain starts out as snow or ice... even in the middle
of summer! If the air temperature allows, the snow/ice melts on the way down, becoming the
liquid water we know as rain.
Now that we understand how and why rain falls, let's take a look at what happens to it.
Rain Becomes Food!
Rain falls on all kinds of surfaces, including plants and trees, big skyscrapers, car windshields,
and even di erent animals!
A lot of rain gets absorbed by the places it lands. When it lands on the ground, it can soak into
the soil. Plants pull the rainwater from the soil to help them grow. Rain helps to hydrate the
plants we eat, so in a way, rain becomes our food!
Sometimes rain clings onto waxy surfaces. Rain has been known to stick onto beetles, ants,
and butter y antennae. These bugs drink up the rain, just like the ground.
People also collect rain to use in their homes and gardens. This is a great way to help conserve
water.
Rain Evaporates
The heat from our sun can help the rainwater dry and turn liquid water into water vapour. The
water vapour rises all the way back up to the clouds it came from, where it can once again
become rain.
fl
ff
fi
fi
fi
fi
Rain Becomes Surface Water
Rain that drips onto harder surfaces ows into our water systems. It can join creeks, rivers,
lakes, and wind up in the world's biggest rain bucket: the ocean. Rain can also wind up
underground, becoming groundwater essential for life.
Rain is an essential part of our water cycle here on earth, providing hydration to the entire
planet. So next time you wish the rain away, think about where it goes!
fl
