Humidity, Condensation and Clouds

Chapter 4
 Humidity
• The term humidity is used to describe the
amount of water vapor in the air.
• Water vapor in the atmosphere is
extremely important. Without it there
would be no clouds and no precipitation.
• If all the water vapor in the atmosphere
were to suddenly condense and fall as
rain, it would cover the earth’s surface with
about 1 inch of water.
 Circulation of water in the
Atmosphere
• Within the atmosphere there is an unending
circulation of water.
• Oceans occupy 70% of the earth’s surface; we
can speak of the circulation of water as
beginning over the ocean.
• Evaporation: transformation of liquid water into
water vapor
• Condensation: water vapor changes back into
liquid (this forms our clouds)
• Precipitation: liquid (or solid) cloud particles
grow in size and fall to the earth’s surface
 85% evap from here
Remaining 15% from land

The Hydrological cycle: “Water cycle”

Water molecules travel from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean

Transpiration: process that allows plants to give up moisture. Water absorbed by roots, moves
through stem system and emerges from the plant through the underside of leaves.
 Evaporation – A closer look
• Water molecules at the surface
of the water are evaporating
and condensing. But more are
evaporating so net evaporation
is occurring

• Recall temperature of water is

a measure of the average
speed of the molecules.
Molecules near the surface
move fast enough to break
away and enter the air.
Saturation
• When the dish is covered
eventually the total
number of molecules
escaping the liquid will
be balanced by the
number of returning
molecules.
• This condition is know as
saturated air. (No net loss
of water vapor)
• Remove the cover and
blow across the jar and
evaporation will resume –
Why?
 Condensation Nuclei
• If we examine the air above the water in the jar
of the previous pictures, we would find that the
air molecules are mixed with tiny (microscopic)
bits of dust, smoke, ocean salt, etc.
• Since these all serve as surfaces on which water
vapor may condense they are called
condensation nuclei.
• Condensation is more likely to occur when air is
cooled because the speed of the water vapor
decreases.
 Which “holds” more moisture?
Warm or Cold Air
• Although condensation is more likely to occur
when the air cools, no matter how cold it
becomes, there are always a few molecules with
sufficient speed (energy) to remain as a vapor.
• Given the same number of water vapor
molecules in the air, saturation is more likely to
occur in cool vice warm air.
• Thus, warm air can “hold” more water vapor
molecules before becoming saturated than can
cold air.
Humidity
• Any one of a number of ways
of expressing the amount of
water vapor in air.
• Absolute humidity: or water
vapor density. Comparison of
the mass of water vapor with
the volume of air in the parcel
(g/m³)
• Specific Humidity: mass of
water vapor in parcel
compared to total mass of air
in parcel (g/kg)
• Mixing Ratio: mass of water
vapor in the parcel compared
to the mass of the remaining
dry air in the parcel (g/kg)
 Vapor Pressure
• Suppose our previous air parcel is near sea
level and the air pressure inside the parcel is
1000 mb. (Total air pressure inside parcel is due
to collision of all molecules against wall of
parcel)
• Parcel is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1%
water vapor. Pressure of nitrogen is 780 mb,
oxygen 210 mb and water vapor is 10 mb.
• So, the partial pressure of the water vapor
(actual vapor pressure) is 10 mb.
Saturation Vapor Pressure
• All else equal, the more air
molecules in a parcel the greater
the total air pressure. (Think of
blowing up a balloon).
• Similarly, increase the amount of
water vapor molecules and
increase the vapor pressure.
• Where vapor pressure indicates
the total amount of water vapor in
the air, saturation vapor pressure
describes how much water vapor
is necessary to make the air
saturated at a given temperature
• Example: SVP increases with
increasing temperature. At 10oC
the SVP is 12 mb whereas at 30oC
it is 42 mb. SVP over water is
greater than over ice.
 Relative Humidity

When the air is cool (morning), the relative humidity is high. When the air is
warm (afternoon), the relative humidity is low. These conditions exist in clear
weather when the air is calm or of constant wind speed.

• Most commonly used way to describe atmospheric moisture. Also the most misunderstood.
• RH=water vapor content/water vapor capacity
• Or RH= actual vapor pressure/saturation vapor pressure (expressed as a percent) x 100%
• Simply put it is the ratio of the air’s water vapor content to its capacity
• Change in RH brought about in two primary ways:
– Changing the air’s water vapor content
– Changing the air temperature
• Note normal times of high vs low RH.
 RH and Dew Point
• Suppose we go out early one morning.
The air temperature is 50oF (10oC) and the
RH is 100%.
• We know the svp at 10oC is 12mb (recall
svp slide). Since we know the air is
saturated (100% RH) we also must know
that the actual vapor pressure must also
be 12mb; RH=12mb(vp)/12mb (svp) x
100%
 RH and Dew Point
• Suppose as the day progresses the air
warms to 30oC (86oF) with no change in
water vapor content.
• Thus the actual vapor pressure remains
12 mb
• The temperature did increase to 30oC so
the SVP increased to 42 mb
• RH=12 mb (vp)/42 mb (svp) x 100%
• RH is now 29%
 RH and Dew Point
• Now a question!
• To what temperature must the outside air in this
example (currently 30oC) be cooled so that it can
once again be saturated?
• The answer…..10oC
• In this example 10oC is called the dew-point
temperature or “dew point”
• Dew point is the temperature to which air would
have to be cooled (with no change in air
pressure or moisture content) for saturation to
occur.
 Average surface dew-point
temperatures (°F) for January.
Average surface dew-point
temperatures (°F) for July.
RH and Dew Point
RH and Dew Point
 Heat Index

To calculate the apparent temperature, find the intersection

of the air temperature and the RH. 100oF with RH 60% HI=130F
 Sling Psychrometer

• Instrument used to obtain the dew point and RH

• Wet bulb (white sock)- wick-covered thermometer dipped in clean water
• Spin the sling and water evaporates from the wick and thermometer cools.
• Wet bulb temperature – lowest temperature that can be attained by evaporating water
into air.
• Dry bulb gives current air temperature.
• Wet bulb depression – difference between the dry bulb and the wet bulb
– Large depression indicates a great deal of water can evaporate into air and the RH is low
– WB=DB indicates 100% RH (saturated air)
 Question to ponder?
Does a volume of humid air weigh the same
as a similar volume of dry air?
 Dew
• On calm clear nights, objects
near the earth surface cool
rapidly emitting infrared
radiation.
• The ground and objects on it
often become much colder
than surrounding air.
• Eventually the air cools to the
dewpoint.
• As surfaces cool below this
temperature, water vapor
begins to condense on them
forming tiny visible specks of
water called DEW
Frost
• Visible white frost forms
on cold clear mornings
when the dew-point
temperature is at or
below freezing.
• When the air cools to the
dew point (frost point)
and further cooling occurs
water vapor can change
directly to ice without
becoming a liquid first
(deposition) forming
FROST.
 Haze
• When the air’s RH reaches about 75%, some of
its water vapor begins to condense onto tiny
floating particles of sea salt and other
substances – condensation nuclei - that are
hygroscopic (water seeking) in that they allow
water vapor to condense onto them when the
RH is considerably below 100%.
• As water collects onto these nuclei, their size
increases and the particles, although still small,
are now large enough to scatter visible light in all
directions, becoming haze – a layer of particles
dispersed through a portion of the atmosphere.
 Fog
• As the RH gradually approaches 100%,
the haze particles grow larger,
condensation begins on the less active
nuclei. Droplets grow bigger, and
eventually become visible to the naked
eye. When visibility lowers to less than 1
km (.62 mi) and the air is wet with millions
of tiny floating water droplets, the haze
becomes a cloud resting near the ground
– FOG
 Types of Fog
• Radiation fog – produced by
the earth’s radiational cooling
• Also called ground fog
• Forms on clear nights when a
shallow layer of moist air is
near the surface and drier air is
above it.
• Winds less than 5 kts are
important to aid in forming fog
• Advection fog – forms when
warm moist air moves over a
colder surface. The moist air
cools to its saturation point and
fog forms.
• Upslope fog – forms as moist
air flows up along an elevated
plain, hill or mountain.
(Winter/Spring on east side of
Rockies)
• Evaporation Fog – Warm moist
air meets cold air. When you
see your breath in the winter.
When sun evaporates rain
from an asphalt road.
What type of fog?
What type of fog?
Average annual number of days with dense
fog throughout the United States.
 Clouds
• Four Major cloud groups and their types:
• High clouds: Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus
• Middle clouds: Altostratus, Altocumulus
• Low clouds: Stratus, Stratocumulus, Nimbostratus
• Clouds with vertical development: Cumulus
and Cumulonimbus

Although we divide clouds into levels we categorize them based on their appearance
 High Clouds
• Approximate heights (mid latitudes)
16,000 to 43,000 ft
• Tropical Regions: 20,000 to 60,000 ft
• Polar Regions: 10,000 to 26,000 ft
• These clouds are composed of ice crystals
and are also rather thin.
• Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, Cirrostratus
 Cirrus
• Mare’s tails
• Thin wispy
• Usually move west to
east
 Cirrocumulus

• Less common than cirrus

• Small, rounded white puffs
• May occur individually or in long rows
• Mackerel sky
 Cirrostratus

• Often covers the entire sky

• Thin
• Often produce halo as ice crystals in the cloud bend light
passing through them
• Use to predict rain/snow within 24 hours
 Middle Clouds
• Approximate height (mid latitudes) – 6500
to 23,000 ft
• Tropical regions: 6500 to 26,000 ft
• Polar Regions: 6500 to 13,000 ft
• Clouds composed of water droplets and
when air is colder ice crystals.
• Altocumulus, Altostratus
 Altocumulus

• Gray, puffy masses sometimes in waves or

bands
• Puffs are larger than cirrocumulus (two finger
rule)
 Altostratus

• Gray or blue-gray cloud that often covers the

entire sky. Sun or moon may been dimly visible
• Altostratus clouds form ahead of storms and
bring widespread continuous precipitation
 Low Clouds
• Approximate height (mid latitudes) –
surface to 6500 ft
• Tropical regions: Surface to 6500 ft
• Polar regions: Surface to 6500 ft
• Cumulus, stratus, stratocumulus,
nimbostratus
 Nimbostratus

• Dark gray “wet” looking cloud.

• Associated with continuous precipitation (light to
moderate)
• Never associated with showers
 Stratocumulus

• Low lumpy appearance

• Appears in rows or patches
 Stratus

• Uniform, grayish cloud

• Often covers the entire sky
• Resembles fog that does not touch the ground
 Cumulus

• Puffy clouds
• Cottony clouds that take on shapes
• White to light gray
• Fair weather Cumulus
 Cumulus Congestus

• “Towering Cumulus”
• Cumulus clouds that grew up!
• Rain showers
 Cumulonimbus (Cb)

• Thunderstorm
• Anvil tops
• Heavy precipitation, hail, lightning, gusty winds
• Big Cb’s breed tornadoes
• Often top out near the tropopause. Strong ones poke
through the tropopause.
Mammatus
Contrails – Vapor trails from jets. Condensation from engine exhaust
 Nacreous

“Mother of pearl” clouds form in the stratosphere at altitudes

Above 100,000 ft. Best viewed in polar regions in winter.
Super cooled water? Not sure.
 Noctilucent Clouds – “luminous night clouds”

Best viewed in polar regions at night. Composed of ice crystals