Precipitation

Precipitation is term used by meteorologist?s to describe all the type of water than can fall from the sky as weather. This includes snow, rain?, sleet, hail?. Precipitation is a major part of the [water cycle]?, and is responsible for the deposition of most fresh water on the planet. Precipitation is generated in clouds?, which reach a point of saturation, at this point larger and larger droplets (or pieces of ice) form, which then fall to the earth under gravity. It is possible to 'seed' clouds to induce precipitation, by releasing a fine dust or appropriate chemical into a cloud (commonly [silver nitrate]?), this encourages the droplets to form, increasing the probability of precipitation.

This term is also used in chemistry to describe the process whereby a solid condenses from a solution. This occurs because the solution is saturated with the solid, whereupon the solid forms, and usually sinks to the bottom of the solution.