Precipitation occurs in clouds when rapid condensation takes place. The fallen moisture returns to the oceans, rivers and streams as runoff and ground water where it evaporates again. This recycling of moisture is the hydrologic cycle. The transition of atmospheric moisture from a gaseous state into a liquid state is condensation. Water vapor is the invisible source of clouds and rain and is also a form of heat transfer.
Clouds develop when water vapor attaches itself to microscopic matter called nuclei.
They are so light that they can stay airborne for weeks at a time. The airborne nuclei form cloud droplets that develop into clouds. All nuclei, especially salts, have a natural affinity for moisture. This is an extremely important characteristic. When nuclei grow too heavy from absorbing other cloud droplets and can no longer remain suspended, they drop to earth as a form of precipitation.