On Earth as a whole, what happens to most of the presipitation?
1 It recharges the soil moisture deflict.
2 it becomes runoff and moves o the oceans.
3 it is store in the soil as capillary oceans.
4 it is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration.
Well, even runoff going to the oceans ends up as evaporation. So answer 4 is the only possible answer.
Explain more
To determine what happens to most of the precipitation on Earth, we need to understand the various processes involved in the water cycle. The water cycle consists of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and the movement of water through different reservoirs on Earth.
When precipitation occurs, it can go through several pathways. Let's evaluate the options given:
1. It recharges the soil moisture deficit: While some precipitation does contribute to replenishing soil moisture, it does not account for most of the precipitation on a global scale. This option is not the most accurate answer.
2. It becomes runoff and moves to the oceans: This is a key process in the water cycle. When precipitation falls on land, it can flow over the surface (runoff) and eventually makes its way to streams, rivers, and eventually the oceans. This accounts for a significant proportion of the overall precipitation on Earth, making it the most accurate answer.
3. It is stored in the soil as capillary oceans: Capillary action and storage in the soil do occur but the volume of water stored in the soil as capillary oceans is relatively small compared to runoff to the oceans. Therefore, this option does not represent what happens to a majority of the precipitation.
4. It is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration: This is also a crucial process in the water cycle. Some precipitation is taken up by plants (transpiration) and evaporates directly from the surface of the Earth (evaporation). Although these processes are significant, they do not account for most of the precipitation worldwide.
So, the most accurate answer is: 2. It becomes runoff and moves to the oceans.