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How does rain get to the sea?

How does rain get to the sea?

When it rains, some water soaks into the ground and some of it collects, forming streams and rivers that eventually flow into the sea. The water that falls as rain is constantly recycled because water can change from a liquid to a gas (a process known as evaporation) and back to a liquid again (condensation).

What happens when rain falls on the ocean?

But it does matter, in part because the ocean is salty. The effect of rain diluting the salts in the ocean (or evaporation concentrating them) can be greater than the effect of heating (or cooling) on the density of seawater. This leads to ocean current systems that can be surprisingly strong.

Is rain water clean?

Most rain is perfectly safe to drink and may be even cleaner than the public water supply. Rainwater is only as clean as its container. Only rain that has fallen directly from the sky should be collected for drinking. Boiling and filtering rainwater will make it even safer to drink.

Is swimming in the rain bad?

Summary: It is ok, you can swim! There is a saying that you will catch cold if you swim during rain. That is a popular reason given when people say you shouldn’t swim when it is raining. Well, it is only 50% right.

Is there more rain in the ocean than on land?

Yes, a lot! There is more rain falling over the oceans than the land. This is largely because there is so much more area of ocean than land. But also the seas are where most water evaporates, and so much of it must also fall back there.

Why does it rain in the middle of the sea?

But also the seas are where most water evaporates, and so much of it must also fall back there. Most precipitation on land begins as ocean water (and, some lake water, some forest/grassland transpiration) and it falls as conditions occur. Moist winds pushing into mountains quickly dump rain or snow.

How does the water in the ocean affect the weather?

When water molecules are heated, they exchange freely with the air in a process called evaporation. Ocean water is constantly evaporating, increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds.

Where does most of the rain come from?

Eventually, most of it makes its way back to the oceans. Since the oceans contain about 97 percent of Earth’s surface water, they make the biggest contribution to evaporation. Most of that water rains back into the oceans — only about 10 percent of it falls on the land.