CHAPTER 4 Atmospheric Humidity and Precipitation

CHAPTER 4
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE
AND PRECIPITATION
WATER
More than 70% of the earth’s surface is water
3 forms of water are present in the earth and its surrounding

atmosphere that humans heavily rely on
PRECIPITATION : fall of water in a solid or liquid state from the

atmosphere that reaches the earth’s land or water surface
PROPERTIES OF WATER
Water Molecule H20

Molecule of weak electrical
polarity
Positive and negative charges attract ,

water molecules tend to stick together –
HYDROGEN BOND
3 STATES OF WATER
HYDROSPHERE
• Oceans – Nearly all Earth’s
water is contained in the oceans
• Ice sheets and glaciers –
second largest reservoir of
water
• Surface water, including lakes –
tiny fraction of Earth’s water
volume
• Atmospheric water – 0.001
percent of total water, vital
driver of weather and climate
HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
HUMIDITY
The amount of moisture in the atmosphere
Maximum moisture that can be held at any time in the air

depends on temperature of the air
Higher the temperature, more water vapor holding capacity

CALCULATION OF HUMIDITY
Specific Humidity - The actual quantity of water vapor contained
within a parcel of air
CALCULATION OF HUMIDITY
Relative humidity depends on the water vapor content and
the air temperature.
It compares…..
Amount of water : the maximum amount
held by air that can be held at that
temperature
DEW POINT
The temperature at which air with a given humidity

will reach saturation when cooled without changing
its pressure
Dew point temperature is sensitive to atmospheric

pressure
ADIABATIC PROCESS
Heating or cooling process that occurs as a result of pressure

change with no heat flowing into or away from a volume of air
Adiabatic decrease of temperature in a rising parcel of air leads

to cooling, then to condensation of water vapor into water
droplets and the formation of a cloud
ADIABATIC PROCESS
• When air is forced to rise,

it expands and its
temperature decreases
• When air is forced to

descend, its temperature
increases
ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE
• Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate: • Moist Adiabatic Lapse Rate : The
The rate at which rising air rate at which rising air is cooled by
cools or descending air expansion when condensation is
warms when no occurring
condensation is occurring
• Moist Adiabetic Lapse rate :ranges
• Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate –
between 4 and 9°C per 1000 m
10°C per 1000 m (5.5°F per
(2.2–4.9°F per 1000 ft) (depends on
1000 ft)
the temperature, pressure, &
• Parcel of air is raised 1 km,
moisture content). Usually use 5°C
its temperature will drop by
per 1000 m
10°C.
CLOUD
Cloud consists of water droplets, ice particles, or a

mixture of both
These form on tiny condensation nuclei
Condensation nuclei : aerosol particles – commonly

sea salt or dust
CLOUD
CLOUD TYPE APPEARANCE QUALITIES
CIRRIFORM CLOUDS HIGH THIN WISPY CLOUDS, COMPOSED OF ICE CRYSTALS

DRAWN OUT INTO STREAKS FORM WHEN MOISTURE IS PRESENT IN THE AIR
STRATIFORM CLOUDS BLANKET LIKE LAYER OFTEN COVER ENTIRE SKY

COVERS LARGE AREAS
CUMULIFORM CLOUDS GLOBULAR MASSES OF SMALL TO LARGE PARCELS OF MOIST RISING

CLOUDS AIR
PUFFY
NIMBUS CLOUDS OF ANY TYPE THAT PRODUCE
PRECIPITATION
ISOLATED CUMULONIMBUS DISCHARGES
PRECIPITATION AS RAIN
TYPES OF CLOUDS
CIRRIFORM CLOUDS : AT THE TOP PF THE TROPOSPHERE, HIGH THIN WISPY CLOUDS DRAWN OUT INTO
STREAKS. THEY ARE COMPOSED OF ICE CRYSTALS AND FORM WHEN MOISTURE IS PRESENT HIGH IN THE
AIR
STRATIFORM CLOUDS : BLANKET LIKE LAYERS THAT COVER LARGE AREAS . A COMMON TYPE IS STRATUS
CLOUDS THAT COVER THE ENTIRE SKY
CUMULIFORM CLOUDS : GLOBULAR MASSES OF CLOUDS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SMALL TO LARGE
PARCELS OF MOIST RISING AIR. IN THIS PHOTO, PUFFY, FAIR-WEATHER CUMULUS CLOUDS DRIFT OVER A
LAKE
NIMBUS CLOUDS: CLOUDS OF ANY TYPE THAT PRODUCE PRECIPITATION. AN ISOLATED CUMULONIMBUS
CELL DISCHARGES ITS PRECIPITATION AS HEAVY RAIN
FOG
Cloud that is very close to the earth’s surface
RADIATION FOG : forms at night when the temperature

of the ground drops rapidly due to cooling by radiation.
ADVECTION FOG : warm moist air layer moves across a

cold surface
PRECIPITATION FORMS
RAIN
SNOW
FREEZING RAIN
HAIL
ATMOSPHERIC LIFTING
OROGRAPHIC LIFTING: OCCURS WHEN AIR IS COOLED AS IT PASSES OVER A
MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
CONVECTIVE LIFTING: PRECIPITATION INDUCED WHEN WARM MOIST AIR IS

HEATED AT THE GROUND SURFACE , RISES, COOLS AND CONDENSES TO FORM
WATER DROPLETS , RAIN DROPLETS AND EVENTUALLY RAINDROPS
CONVERGENT LIFTING: AIRMASSES CONVERGE TOGETHER AT A LOCATION FROM

DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. AIR PILES UP AND IS FORCED UPWARD, CREATING A LOW
PRESSURE CELL
FRONTAL LIFTING: MASS OF WARM AIR IS FORCED TO RISE OVER A DENSE MASS
OF COOLER AIR

CHAPTER 4 Atmospheric Humidity and Precipitation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER 4 Atmospheric Humidity and Precipitation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER 4 Atmospheric Humidity and Precipitation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CHAPTER 4

3 forms of water are present in the earth and its surrounding

PRECIPITATION : fall of water in a solid or liquid state from the

Water Molecule H20

Positive and negative charges attract ,

Maximum moisture that can be held at any time in the air

Higher the temperature, more water vapor holding capacity

The temperature at which air with a given humidity

Dew point temperature is sensitive to atmospheric

Heating or cooling process that occurs as a result of pressure

Adiabatic decrease of temperature in a rising parcel of air leads

• When air is forced to rise,

• When air is forced to

Cloud consists of water droplets, ice particles, or a

These form on tiny condensation nuclei

Condensation nuclei : aerosol particles – commonly

CIRRIFORM CLOUDS HIGH THIN WISPY CLOUDS, COMPOSED OF ICE CRYSTALS

STRATIFORM CLOUDS BLANKET LIKE LAYER OFTEN COVER ENTIRE SKY

CUMULIFORM CLOUDS GLOBULAR MASSES OF SMALL TO LARGE PARCELS OF MOIST RISING

Cloud that is very close to the earth’s surface

RADIATION FOG : forms at night when the temperature

ADVECTION FOG : warm moist air layer moves across a

CONVECTIVE LIFTING: PRECIPITATION INDUCED WHEN WARM MOIST AIR IS

CONVERGENT LIFTING: AIRMASSES CONVERGE TOGETHER AT A LOCATION FROM

You might also like