Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Water Cycle & Hydrology
Precipitation
Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples
/prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/nounCore term
In geology & earth sciences, precipitation means: Water that falls from clouds to the ground as rain, snow, sleet or hail. It is usually measured in millimetres per day, month or year.
In Turkish: yağış
How it is used
The technical word for what most people call rain or snowfall. Used in meteorology, hydrology and climate reports: annual precipitation, heavy precipitation, precipitation data. It is one of the main stages of the water cycle.
Example sentences
Annual precipitation here is less than 300 mm.
Most precipitation in the region falls as snow in winter.
Common collocations
annual precipitation
heavy precipitation
precipitation data
average precipitation
Related terms
water cycleThe continuous movement of water between the oceans, the atmosphere and the land through evaporation, condensation, precipitation and runoff.
evaporationThe process in which liquid water turns into water vapour and rises into the air, mainly from oceans, lakes, rivers and wet soil, driven by the Sun's heat.
runoffWater from rain or melting snow that flows over the ground surface into streams and rivers instead of soaking into the soil.
climateThe typical weather of a region over a long period, usually averaged over 30 years, including temperature, rainfall and wind.
