Where Does Rain Come From? Rains And Clouds Simplified For Kids

The earthy smell of soil after rain brings joy to one and all.

Rain has always been a favorite phenomenon for humans. Cuddling in blankets with a hot beverage in hand is a picture-perfect moment; so it’s only right to learn more about this beautiful rain.

Rainy days are often said to be responsible for making people lazy. There is nothing more we enjoy in nature than watching the rain splatter on the ground. Did you ever wonder how this rain fell from the sky? What happens for it to rain? The heat from the sun turns water content in leaves and grass into vapors. This process is commonly called evaporation. Just like this the water in oceans, lakes, and other water bodies also turns to vapor and moves up. All this vapor rises up and condenses to tiny water droplets and forms clouds. When the water droplets in the clouds get heavy, they fall down as big drops, drizzle, or hail, in a process known as precipitation. This is how rain comes down onto the Earth from the big clouds and this marks the reset of the water cycle.

Now that we know the basic outline of how rain is formed, let's dive into further details and thereafter explore where does pepperoni come from and where does metal come from.

What is rainwater made of?

We are standing in the rain getting wet and enjoying the moment. Sometimes, we open our mouths to drink this rainwater coming from the sky. But what is inside the droplets of rainwater? Is it safe to drink it? We’ve already discussed a basic form of the water cycle. How the water absorbed from the earth comes back into the earth. This rainwater contains water droplets collected from various places on earth.

Do you know where does rain comes from? To begin the water cycle, the water or moisture has to undergo evaporation and condensation. The water vapor from trees and leaves evaporates to the outside atmosphere. The water bodies come up next. The liquid water in water bodies like rivers, oceans, and lakes rises up in the form of water vapors from the water surface and moves up through evaporation. After it reaches up in the sky, the water vapor from oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies and the water vapor from plants through evaporation condenses to form different types of clouds. These clouds are initially light. But as the water droplets of condensed moisture grow larger, these different types of clouds in the sky become heavy and can no longer hold themselves. After that, the heavy clouds pour water droplets into the earth in the form of rain. This process is called precipitation.

Clouds are created when water vapor that rises from land is turned into liquid water droplets. Dust and other particles in the air are united with the water vapor to turn into water droplets or ice crystals. The tiny water droplets condense around the particles in the air to form cloud droplets. These cloud droplets are bundled together. These bundled cloud droplets are what we see as clouds. Raindrops are part of this bundle. Depending on the conditions, the clouds can also form at ground level. This is what we refer to as fog. Walking through the fog is much like walking through clouds. Clouds float as long as they are light but once it gets heavy, the water droplets have to be let down.

Where does the smell of rain come from?

Have you ever smelled the air after it rains? The ground smells so mesmerizing that we can sit and enjoy it for a very long time. There is a term used to describe this smell, it’s called petrichor, the earthy smell associated with the rain. Normally it happens when the rain falls on dry soil. It is mainly felt after the first rain in a long time.

But where does this smell come from? During dry periods, plants secrete oils into the ground. This oil gets mixed up with the chemicals released by certain bacteria that live under the soil. The rain is essential for the bacteria to move their spores. And when it finally rains, the chemicals released into the air forms a sweet smell that we now refer to as petrichor. So the smell is actually related to the chemicals produced by the bacteria in the soil. But in order for it to be released, rain is needed. So what you believe to be the smell of soil is actually the chemicals produced by the bacteria. Thunderstorms also cause a smell that is related to the production of ozone. During thunderstorms, ozone is produced. In high concentrations, the ozone releases a pungent smell.

What does rainwater do as soon as it falls?

We’ve already discussed how the whole water cycle works. So the simple answer to where the rainwater goes after hitting the land is back to where it came from. That is how a water cycle works. The water that rises up through evaporation eventually falls down as rain in the form of precipitation.

Some of the rainwater seeps into the ground and rises the water table, that is, the water level in the underground. A part of this rainwater moves into the lakes, rivers, oceans, and other water bodies from where it actually evaporated into the air. But what happens to the rainfall depends on some factors like the rate of rainfall, soil condition, the topography of the land, the density of vegetation, and the amount of urbanization. If the water falls on top of hills or other heightened areas, it flows down and joins the streams or lakes. The sandy soil absorbs rainwater easily while the dense solid clay soil has a hard time absorbing the water. If there is high vegetation in areas of rainfall, the plants absorb the water from rainfall for their moisture. It is this moisture that is later evaporated from the plants. Also when the amount of urbanization is high, the rainfall is unable to seep into the ground. In times like this, it goes into areas that clog the water since there is no right place for the water to seep into. The water that flows off to the ground is called stormwater or runoff. Sometimes the rainwater is collected through methods like rainwater harvesting.

Why is rain important for us?

Rain is a vital part of the sustenance of life on Earth and is integral to the water cycle. It’s hard to imagine what we’d do without rain. Rainfall is important for animals and plants to survive on Earth. The availability of freshwater is maintained through the rain.  When there is no rainfall, the flow of life is affected largely.

If there is little or no rain at all, lands will dry up. The dried-up land is no longer suitable for plants to grow. The farmers will have a hard time in cultivation. If there is no agriculture, humans will suffer from food shortages. Also, the water table level will decrease. The amount of rainfall seeping into the ground is very low. The water available in the underground will be absorbed by plants. The water in wells will decrease. Since the water in the ocean is salty, the availability of freshwater will decrease considerably. It is also important to have a normal range of rainfall. If the rainfall is continuous with no intervals, that also causes big problems. When lack of rainfall causes drought, excess rainfall causes floods. The right balance of rainfall is important for the healthy maintenance of life on Earth.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for where does rain come from? Rains and clouds simplified for kids then why not take a look at cocoa for canines: how much chocolate can kill a dog? or how often do orchids bloom? Fascinating flower facts explained.