Sublimation is the process of transformation directly from the solid phase to the gas phase

without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Sublimation is an endothermic phase

transition that occurs at temperatures and pressures below a substance's triple point in its phase
diagram
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above
that surface in the atmosphere of Earth (or that of another planet). In most circumstances
atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the mass of
air above the measurement point. Low-pressure areas have less atmospheric mass above their
location, whereas high-pressure areas have more atmospheric mass above their location.
Likewise, as elevation increases, there is less overlying atmospheric mass, so that pressure
decreases with increasing elevation. On average, a column of air one square centimeter in cross-
section, measured from sea level to the top of the atmosphere, has a mass of about 1.03 kg and
weight of about 10.1 N (2.28 lb
f
) (A column one square inch in cross-section would have a
weight of about 14.7 lbs, or about 65.4 N). This is approximately the same as having a small car
press down on you.
[1]

In a mixture of ideal gases, each gas has a partial pressure which is the pressure that the gas
would have if it alone occupied the volume of the mixture at the same temperature.
[1]
The total
pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in the mixture.
The partial pressure of a gas is a measure of thermodynamic activity of the gas's molecules.
Gases dissolve, diffuse, and react according to their partial pressures, and not according to their
concentrations in gas mixtures or liquids.
Vapor pressure is the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its non-vapor phases (i.e., liquid or
solid). Most often the term is used to describe a liquid's tendency to evaporate. It is a measure of
the tendency of molecules and atoms to escape from a liquid or a solid. A liquid's atmospheric
pressure boiling point corresponds to the temperature at which its vapor pressure is equal to the
surrounding atmospheric pressure and it is often called the normal boiling point.
The higher the vapor pressure of a liquid at a given temperature, the lower the normal boiling
point of the liquid.
The enthalpy of vaporization, (symbol ), also known as the heat of vaporization or
heat of evaporation, is the energy required to transform a given quantity of a substance from a
liquid into a gas at a given pressure (often atmospheric pressure).
It is often measured at the normal boiling point of a substance; although tabulated values are
usually corrected to 298 K, the correction is often smaller than the uncertainty in the measured
value.
The heat of vaporization is temperature-dependent, though a constant heat of vaporization can be
assumed for small temperature ranges and for T
r
<<1.0. The heat of vaporization diminishes with
increasing temperature and it vanishes completely at the critical temperature (T
r
=1) because
above the critical temperature the liquid and vapor phases no longer co-exist Diurnal temperature
variations are greatest very near the earths surface. High desert areas typically have the greatest
diurnal temperature variations. Low lying, humid areas typically have the least. This explains
why an area like the Snake River Plain can have high temperatures of 38C (100F) during a
summer day, and then have lows of 5-10C (40-50F). At the same time, Washington D.C.,
which is much more humid, has temperature variations of only 8C (15F)
[1]
; Hong Kong has a
diurnal temperature range of little more that 4C (7F).
Relative humidity, also called humidity ratio, is classified in three ways:
1. on the basis of pressure (partial pressure of vapor in air / pressure of saturated air)
2. on the basis of mass (mass of vapour present in air / mass of dry air)
3. on the basis of density (density of the vapour present in air / density of dry air)
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air
and water vapor. It is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in an air-water
mixture to the saturated vapor pressure of water at a prescribed temperature. The relative
humidity of air depends not only on temperature but also on the pressure of the system of
interest.
Measurement
The humidity of an air-water vapor mixture is determined through the use of psychrometric
charts if both the dry bulb temperature (T) and the wet bulb temperature (T
w
) of the mixture
are known. These quantities are readily estimated by using a sling psychrometer.
The dewpoint temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer "hold" all of the
water vapor which is mixed with it, and some of the water vapor must condense into liquid
water. The dew point is always lower than (or equal to) the air temperature.

If the air temperature cools to the dew point, or if the dew point rises to equal the air
temperature, then dew, fog or clouds begin to form. At this point where the dew point
temperature equals the air temperature, the relative humidity is 100%.

If there is then further cooling of the air, say because the air parcel is rising to higher (and thus
colder) levels in the atmosphere, even more water vapor must condense out as additional dew,
fog, or cloud, so that the dew point temperature then falls along with the air temperature. This
is how precipitation forms...when water vapor is removed from the air so rapidly that the liquid
water drops grow to a size where they fall out of the cloud.

While relative humidity is (as its name suggests) a relative measure of how humid the air is, the
dewpoint temperature is an absolute measure of how much water vapor is in the air. In very
warm, humid conditions, the dewpoint temperature often reaches 75 to 77 degrees F, and
sometimes exceeds 80 degrees. No matter how hot the temperature gets, a dewpoint
temperature of (say) 75 deg. F always represents the same amount of water vapor in the air in
absolute terms (but different relative humidities).

During the summer, the dewpoint temperature -- not the relative humidity -- is usually a better
measure of how humid it feels outside. It is also a good measure of how much water vapor
"fuel" is available to showers and thunderstorms, with a higher dewpoint representing more
water vapor available for conversion to rain.
The enthalpy of vaporization, (symbol ), also known as the heat of
vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the energy required to transform a given
quantity of a substance from a liquid into a gas at a given pressure (often atmospheric
pressure).
It is often measured at the normal boiling point of a substance; although tabulated values
are usually corrected to 298 K, the correction is often smaller than the uncertainty in the
measured value.