Question 7Explain why more rain clouds form in areas of the ocean with warmer surface waters.

Warmer surface waters in the ocean lead to more rain clouds due to the process of evaporation and condensation, which are key components of the water cycle. Here's a step-by-step explanation:

1. Heat Absorption: The ocean absorbs heat from the sun, with areas near the equator generally absorbing more heat due to direct sunlight. This causes the surface water in these areas to become warmer.

2. Evaporation: The heat absorbed by the ocean is transferred to the water, causing it to evaporate. This means that the water turns from a liquid state into a gaseous state, creating water vapor. The warmer the water, the more evaporation occurs.

3. Rising Warm Air: The warm, moist air rises up into the atmosphere. As it rises, it cools down.

4. Condensation: When the warm air cools down, the water vapor condenses to form tiny water droplets. These droplets come together to form clouds. The process of condensation also releases heat, which causes the air to rise further, allowing more water vapor to condense and more clouds to form.

5. Precipitation: When the water droplets in the clouds become too large and heavy to remain in the cloud, they fall back down to the ocean or land as precipitation (rain).

So, areas of the ocean with warmer surface waters experience more evaporation, leading to the formation of more clouds, and consequently, more rain.