Water in the Atmosphere

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Humidity refers to water vapour present in the air. It is expressed quantitatively in different ways - mainly as absolute humidity (weight of water vapour per unit volume of air in grams per cubic met…

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Absolute humidity is the actual amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere. It is the weight of water vapour per unit volume of air and is expressed in grams per cubic metre. It differs from pla…

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Relative humidity is the percentage of moisture present in the atmosphere compared to its full capacity at a given temperature. It is affected by air temperature changes - as temperature increases, ca…

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Dew point is the temperature at which saturation occurs in a given sample of air. When air is cooled to its dew point, it becomes saturated and cannot hold any additional moisture. This is the tempera…

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Evaporation is the process by which water transforms from liquid to gaseous state. Main factors influencing evaporation: 1) Heat/Temperature - main cause, 2) Moisture content - low moisture increases …

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Condensation is the transformation of water vapour into liquid water, caused by loss of heat. It occurs when: 1) Air temperature is reduced to dew point, 2) Both volume and temperature are reduced, 3)…

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Hygroscopic condensation nuclei are very small particles around which condensation occurs in free air. These include particles of dust, smoke, and salt from oceans. They are particularly effective bec…

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Dew is moisture deposited in the form of water droplets on cooler surfaces like stones, grass blades, and plant leaves. Ideal conditions: clear sky, calm air, high relative humidity, cold and long nig…