What is the best description of Virga?

What is the best description of Virga?

• A. Rain that reaches the ground but evaporates quickly
• B. Streamers of precipitation trailing beneath clouds that evaporate before reaching the ground
• C. Clouds that appear to be raining but are not
• D. Precipitation that is heavy but does not reach the surface

Answer: (B)

Virga refers to the phenomenon where precipitation, such as rain or snow, falls from clouds but evaporates before it reaches the ground. This occurs due to the presence of dry air layers beneath the clouds, which absorb the raindrops or snowflakes, causing them to evaporate in the air. When observing virga, you may see streaks or streamers coming down from a cloud, giving the appearance of rain without any actual moisture reaching the surface. This description captures the essence of virga, highlighting both the visual aspect of the phenomenon and the key detail that the precipitation evaporates before making contact with the ground. Other descriptions may encompass aspects of precipitation but miss the critical point that virga specifically refers to precipitation that does not reach the surface due to evaporation.

Virga refers to the phenomenon where precipitation, such as rain or snow, falls from clouds but evaporates before it reaches the ground. This occurs due to the presence of dry air layers beneath the clouds, which absorb the raindrops or snowflakes, causing them to evaporate in the air. When observing virga, you may see streaks or streamers coming down from a cloud, giving the appearance of rain without any actual moisture reaching the surface.

This description captures the essence of virga, highlighting both the visual aspect of the phenomenon and the key detail that the precipitation evaporates before making contact with the ground. Other descriptions may encompass aspects of precipitation but miss the critical point that virga specifically refers to precipitation that does not reach the surface due to evaporation.