Water evaporates from bodies of water and rises into the atmosphere with heat. As the warm air cools and expands higher in the sky, the water vapor condenses into droplets which grow larger. When the droplets become too heavy, they fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet or hail. Air pollution occurs when fossil fuels are burned, releasing nitrogen and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere. These gases can dissolve into acid rain and particles can reduce visibility and impact health. Water covers most of the earth but is found in oceans, ice caps, snow, and underground. Many areas face water shortages in summer and rural populations must travel long distances to collect water. Water availability determines what species can survive in an area