LISS.398A TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT and HUMAN ADAPTATION:
PART I EARLY PEOPLES in
the NEW WORLD
PRECIPITATION
Precipitation is water appearing at the earth's surface in
the liquid (rain) or solid state (snow, sleet, hail) after
condensing (around particulate matter) from a air-water
solution as the temperature of the solution cools and the
solubility of water in air decreases. From our perspective,
precipitation must be viewed as a part of a larger
hydrologic system.
Precipitation is usefully categorized
according to features of the cooling process that produces it.
Types of precipitation
differ in the way they
participate in the hydrologic cycle. Different
turbulent disturbances
produce different types of precipitation.
Thus these types are important in understanding how these
processes produce water relevant to human survival.
Colorado School of Mines
Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies
Dr. Joseph D. Sneed
jsneed@mines.edu
