Rain

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Rain is liquid precipitation. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface. Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation. However, not all rain reaches the surface; some evaporates while falling through dry air. This is called virga, a phenomenon often seen in hot, dry desert regions. The METAR code for rain is RA.

Rain is also known or suspected on other worlds. On Titan, Saturn's largest moon, infrequent methane rain is thought to carve the moon's numerous surface channels. On Venus, sulfuric acid virga evaporates 25 km from the surface. There is likely to be rain of various compositions in the upper atmospheres of the gas giants, as well as precipitation of liquid neon and helium in the deep atmospheres.

For more information about Rain, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with rainfall

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Lagoon size can be predicted

Biology / Ecology

created Nov 03, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The size of Santa Barbara area lagoons can be predicted, according to a new study by UC Santa Barbara scientists, who say that their research could help protect the endangered steelhead trout.


Typhoon Mirinae is already scaring Philippine residents before Halloween

Typhoon Mirinae is already scaring Philippine residents before Halloween

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 29, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Another typhoon in the northern Philippines really is something to be scared about, and Mirinae is expected to make landfall there in the mid-morning hours on Halloween, October 31. Mirinae will be the fourth ...


NASA gets a 3-D look at Neki becoming extra-tropical

NASA gets a 3-D look at Neki becoming extra-tropical

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 26, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

NASA's Aqua and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites are watching Tropical Storm Neki become extra-tropical, and TRMM data was used to create a three-dimensional image of the storm.


NASA satellite still sees heavy rainfall in Tropical Storm Neki

NASA satellite still sees heavy rainfall in Tropical Storm Neki

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 24, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Tropical Storm Neki continues moving north and over the weekend it will be in open waters in the Central Atlantic. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed over Neki early on October ...


Tuesday wettest day of week in Manchester, suggests new analysis

Tuesday wettest day of week in Manchester, suggests new analysis

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 23, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Tuesday is the wettest day of the week, suggests new analysis of rainfall data for Manchester.


NASA's TRMM sees some heavy rains in Neki as it heads toward Johnston Island

TRMM sees some heavy rains in Neki as it heads toward Johnston Island

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 20, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite has been flying over Tropical Storm Neki in the Central Pacific Ocean and providing scientists with an idea of how much rainfall Johnston Island ...


A desert locust

Mauritana locust infestation spreading to Morocco: UN

Biology / Ecology

created Oct 16, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

An invasion of crickets in Mauritania has spread to Morocco and the western Sahara, and could worsen if there is strong rainfall in coming weeks, the United Nations warned Friday.


Tropical Storm Parma headed to Vietnam

Tropical Storm Parma headed to Vietnam

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 13, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Tropical Storm Parma crossed over the Hainan Island, China over the weekend and is now poised for a final landfall in Vietnam around 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.


NASA's TRMM satellite captures Typhoon Melor as it reaches Japan

NASA's TRMM satellite captures Typhoon Melor as it reaches Japan

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 08, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Melor began as a tropical depression back on the 29th of September 2009 about 1000 miles (~1600 km) east-southeast of Guam in the Northern Mariana Islands. Over the next couple of days, the system steadily ...


Sand dunes reveal unexpected dryness during heavy monsoon

Sand dunes reveal unexpected dryness during heavy monsoon

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 06, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- The windswept deserts of northern China might seem an odd destination for studying the heavy monsoon rains that routinely drench the more tropical regions of Southeast Asia.


NASA's TRMM sees huge Typhoon Parma bringing more rain to the Philippines

NASA's TRMM sees huge Typhoon Parma bringing more rain to the Philippines

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 02, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Typhoon Parma is a huge storm and NASA's TRMM satellite sees it is already bringing more unwanted rains and gusty winds to the typhoon-weary and devastated Philippines. Parma, also called "Pepeng" in the Philippines, ...


NASA 3-D map shows flooding rains of Typhoon Ketsana in Philippines

NASA 3-D map shows flooding rains of Typhoon Ketsana in Philippines

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite, orbits the Earth and measures the amount of rainfall created by a tropical cyclone. When Typhoon Ketsana (known in the Phillippines as "Ondoy") made ...


NASA's TRMM satellite sees heavy rainfall in Choi-Wan

NASA's TRMM satellite sees heavy rainfall in Choi-Wan

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Sep 17, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

NASA and the Japanese Space Agency's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite flew over the center of Super Typhoon Choi-Wan at 2:34 EDT on September 17, 2009 and captured heavy rainfall around ...


Rhododendron expansion may increase the chance of landslides on Southern Appalachian slopes

Rhododendron expansion may increase the chance of landslides on Southern Appalachian slopes

Biology / Ecology

created Aug 31, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Research by U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists and partners suggests that the expansion of rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) in Southern Appalachian mountain hollows may in ...


Air pollution is reducing the amount of rain in China

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Aug 31, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Air pollution in eastern China during the last 50 years has led to a reduction in the amount of light rainfall of almost a quarter. This is revealed by an international study conducted with support from the University of ...