Precipitation refers to the process by which a substance, often a suspended solid or liquid, falls to a primary surface from a higher level, or the deposition of material from a solution into a solid phase. In meteorology, it describes any water released from the atmosphere in liquid or solid form, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, resulting from the cooling and condensation of atmospheric moisture until the resulting droplets overcome atmospheric resistance and fall to the Earth's surface. In physical chemistry, the term describes the formation of a solid crystal or insoluble compound from a solution, typically when the concentration exceeds the solubility limit, causing the substance to become suspended and settle. This process is fundamental to geological cycles, including the formation of mineral deposits and the global water cycle.