Let It Rain Trivia Quiz

Answer: Precipitation

Precipitation occurs after water condenses in the atmosphere. When water droplets form in the clouds and become heavy enough they rain to the ground (or, if it's cold enough, freeze into snow or hail) as precipitation. Precipitation varies around the world depending on the time of year because of different weather fronts and meteorological patterns; rain depends entirely on fronts currently acting upon the atmosphere. Physical geography can also have a great effect on rain-- lake-effect snow, for instance, is caused by an area's proximity to large lakes. Someone in the Great Lakes region of Canada, for instance, could see greater precipitation in the winter because of fronts rolling in over the lakes.

Answer: Cumulonimbus

Cumulonimbus clouds are most attributed to stormy weather. As water evaporates and the climate becomes just right, the cumulonimbus will begin to grow and tower up into the atmosphere where it will darken and unleash ferocious rain, dissipating in a burst of precipitation. Cumulus clouds are less likely to produce major storms but are your typical rain cloud.

Stratus clouds can create very small amounts of precipitation-- usually snow-- but it is uncommon. Cirrostratus will not; this type of cloud is the least dense. Altocumulus won't either; these are big, white, poofy clouds. The types of clouds in the sky can easily indicate upcoming weather fronts, however, if you know how to read them.

Answer: Erosion

Although these are all geological processes, only erosion is directly applicable since it involves the direct wearing away of stone, dirt, and land in general as brought on by the pitter-patter of rain. Heavier rain can cause more severe erosion; if rain accumulates enough, running water and runoff can be just as dangerous.

Not only does the amount of rain (and how much accumulates) matter, but how hard the rain falls is also a major factor. This does have a major effect on the environment, especially where agriculture is concerned, because erosion can strongly degrade soil quality and stilt crop growth.

Answer: No

Although rain and fog can occur at the same time they are relatively exclusive. While rain occurs when water rises, condenses, and drops from the clouds, fog occurs when water condenses near ground level creating a thin cloud similar to a mist, but thicker in consistency. Rain can cause a mist under certain circumstances (ie. when cold rain hits very hot, solid ground, like concrete), but it will not cause fog.

This is because the water does not evaporate and cool at a fast enough rate while it's precipitating. Fog most accumulates near large bodies of water with high humidity and relatively low temperatures.

Answer: Saguaro cactus

Saguaro cacti, which make their home in desert regions, require very little water to survive in the blazing sun and scorching sand; only appearing in the Sonoran Desert, a region in the United States which receives very little rain, this cactus will retain any fresh rainwater for extended periods of time, outlasting most other foliage on the landscape.

The other options are guzzlers-- yellow hibiscus and ferns both require ample amounts of water and, as such, are frequently seen as house plants in need of attention. Pussy willows are grown in damp areas including water ditches and bogs because of their constant need for water.

Answer: Petrichor

Petrichor is a word derived from Latin which, when broken down, refers to the scent derived from rainwater coming into contact with previously dry earth. You wouldn't necessarily encounter petrichor in an already wet place since it's only generated when rain comes into contact with certain bacteria in dry clay or dirt.

When the bacteria releases its natural oils, it combines with the natural odors of the soil and the water around it to produce petrichor. As much as people relate the smell to 'freshness', it's actually just the smell of dirt. Albeit pleasant dirt.

Answer: They're both reservoirs

Johads and Bawdis are both large reservoirs created in different regions of India in order to collect and hold large amounts of freshwater generated by rain, frequent or not. While parts of India are definitely prone to monsoons, others do not have plentiful water for consumption; these ensure that people do not get parched, especially in the hot weather typical of the country.

While Johads are simply open water pits, Bawdis are often covered and specially built for people to descend into to collect water.

Answer: Aquifer

Found below the water table, an aquifer is found below a permeable layer of dirt and silt and consists of water filtered through the ground and held naturally by the earth. This is important for people in need of water, especially for irrigation and their own drinking, because in the drier areas of the world it can be one of the only sources of freshwater available. To reach it, a well needs to be installed in order to haul up the water.

When rain occurs (especially in larger amounts) the aquifer refills over time. Dikes, Spillways, and Cisterns are all water containers, blockers, or diverters, but none are naturally formed in the Earth; cisterns contain water, spillways divert water, and dikes (typically man-made) block it out.

Answer: no

A rainforest can be perfectly sunny (not that you'd know since most rainforest canopies block out intense sunlight, especially in equatorial and temperate locations like Brazil and Indonesia) and still retain the status as a rainforest. To be considered such an ecosystem, a forest must see an annual precipitation of around seventy inches (or more); this is typically only achievable in tropical climates (though there are a few minor exceptions to the rule). Because most plants require nutrients, sunlight, and water to survive, it's important that a rainforest get a great deal of sun, especially since said regions are major producers of breathable oxygen, contributing over a quarter of what our planet needs to survive.

Answer: It is not possible to stand inside a rainbow that you can see

Rainbows are unique phenomena created when sunlight hits falling water or mist at exactly forty-two degrees-- an acute angle-- from the viewer. Thus, it is not possible to stand within a rainbow at any time, at least not for the person looking. If an observer is far enough away they can, perhaps, see someone within a rainbow, but this is an optical trick.

Rainbows are created when sun bounces off the reflective water drops as they precipitate from the sky; the same occurs in waterfalls and the like. If the sun is behind you as you're looking at a rainbow, you're likely to witness a fuller view, unhindered, because the arc is created opposite the direction of the light source.