Atmospheric humidity, concept

of saturation, vapor pressure,

process of condensation,
formation of dew, fog, mist,
frost, cloud
Humidity
Water vapour (water in gaseous form) present in the
atmosphere.
Dry air – 0 humidity

❖ Source of Atmospheric humidity –

➢ Evaporation from water bodies ( Lake, Ocean, river)
and soil surface
➢ Transpiration from the plant surface.
❖ Water vapour content of the atmosphere 0 – 4 % on volume
basis
❖ Bulk of Atmospheric humidity is contained below 6 km
height of atmosphere
EXPRESSION OF ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY

A. Mass and volume based measures

1. Specific humidity (g/kg)

2. Absolute humidity (g/m-3)
3. Mixing ratio (g/kg)
 Humidity
oHumidity: the amount of water in the air.
oAbsolute humidity: the mass of water vapor in a unit volume of
air.
mass of water vapor
AH =
volume of air
expressed as g m-3 or g cm-3 or g ft-3
oSpecific humidity: the mass of the water vapor compared to the
total mass of the air parcel.
mass of water vapor
SH =
total mass of air
expressed as g of water vapour in a kg
of moist air
oWater (mass) mixing ratio: The mass of water vapor compared to
the mass of the rest of the air parcel.
mass of water vapor It is expressed as g water vapour per kg
MR =
mass of dry air dry air.
B. Saturation based measure
1.Relative humidity (%)
It is expressed as the ratio of actual vapour pressure to the
saturated pressure expressed in terms of percentage. It is most common
measure of atmospheric humidity.
Water vapour present in the air
= X 100
Water vapour required for saturation

2.Dew point
It is defined as the temperature to which a given parcel of air must
be cooled at constant pressure and constant water vapour content in order
to become saturated.
C. Pressure based measures
1. Vapour pressure :
This is the partial pressure created by water vapour in the air expressed in the units of millibars or
mm or inches of mercury. It is the absolute measure of the quantity of water vapour present in the
atmosphere.
▪ AVP – Pressure exerted by actual water vapours at any temp. of air (dry or partially dry air)
▪ SVP – Pressure exerted by saturated water vapour present in air

2. Vapour pressure deficit/Saturation deficit :

SD/VPD=SVP-AVP
It is the difference between SVP and AVP, expressed as bar/ Pascal
When VPD is upto 1.5 Kpa, air is said to be humid
> 2.5 Kpa, air is drier
It gives rough estimate of the drying power of air (as RH)
Magnitude of VPD also indicate rate of evaporation/transpiration

3. Saturation point :
When air contains all the vapour it can hold at the temperature, air is said to be saturated and the
temperature is saturation point.
Vapour pressure
Pressure formed by the vapour of the liquid (or solid) over the surface of the liquid. This pressure is formed in
a thermodynamic equilibrium state in a closed container at a certain temperature. Liquid's evaporation rate is
identified by the equilibrium vapor pressure.
The vapor pressure of a liquid varies with its temperature, as the following graph shows for water. The line on
the graph shows the boiling temperature for water. As the temperature of a liquid or solid increases its vapor
pressure also increases. Conversely, vapor pressure decreases as the temperature decreases.
The vapour pressure of a liquid can be measured in a variety of ways. A simple measurement involves injecting
a little of the liquid into a closed flask connected to manometer.
The process of evaporation in a closed container will proceed until
there are as many molecules returning to the liquid as there are
escaping. At this point the vapour is said to be saturated and the
pressure of the that vapour (usually expressed in mm Hg) is called
the saturated vapour pressure.
When the water vapour cools enough, the attraction between the
molecules brings them together. This causes the water vapour to
change state and become tiny drops of liquid water. The process of
changing from a gas to a liquid is called condensation.
CONCEPT OF SATURATION
Saturation – Maximum water vapour content of air in equilibrium with a plane surface of pure water or of
pure ice.
The state of the atmosphere in which air contains the maximum amount of water vapor that it can hold at a
specific temperature and air pressure. At saturation: the relative humidity is 100 percent, temperature and dew
point are equal.
Example: A sealed Beaker half filled with water and half with air, both at same temperature. When evaporation
starts water in the container get converted into vapour and and goes into the air. Some water molecules are going
from air to the water as well as from water to the air. After some time a stage is reached when the molecules
leaving the water surface become equal to the number of molecules entering the water surface. At this stage the air
is said to be saturated with water vapours. If the beaker is cooled, the average speed of the molecules decreases,
therefore, more number of vapours return to the liquid water than they leave. When the temperature decreases, the
water holding capacity of the air decreases. The air becomes satured. Further cooling leads to the condensation.

Saturation level and temperature – As air temperature increases, more water can remain in gas phase and vice
versa, as there is greater chance for them to condense on to surface.
Below zero degree Celsius the curve splits, one for saturation point above liquid surface (Liquid-vapour) and one
for surface of ice (ice vapour).

Super cooled water – water that is not frozen below 0º C

Hydrological Cycle

Transpiration

(Pri. Source of Water in

Atmosphere, 99% from
ocean)
 CONDENSATION
Change of state of water from vapour to liquid state is called
condensation.
It is the reverse process of evaporation/vapourization.
When moist air comes in contact with cool surfaces, it may be cooled
to the point where its capacity to hold water vapour is exceeded by
actual amount in the air.
Part of water vapour then condenses (Change of state) into liquid
(form on the cool surface), produce minute condensation nuclei.
When this happens, the latent heat of vaporization, in this process,
called the latent heat of condensation is released.
At temperatures below freezing, water may bypass liquid form in its
change of state. When dry air with a temperature well below
freezing comes in contact with ice, molecules of ice (H20) pass
directly into the vapour state by the process of sublimation.
 LH of
sublimation
(-620 cal)

LH of
sublimation
(-620 cal)
Water going from a solid to a liquid: Melting
Water going from a liquid to a gas: Evaporation
Water going from a solid to a gas: Sublimation
Water going from a liquid to a solid: Freezing
Water going from a gas to a liquid: Condensation
Water going from a gas to a solid: Deposition
Melting: absorbs latent heat
Evaporation: absorbs latent heat
Sublimation: absorbs latent heat
Freezing: releases latent heat
Condensation: releases latent heat
Deposition: releases latent heat
Melting: -79.7 cal/g, -330,000 J/kg
Evaporation: -597.3 cal/g, -2,500,000 J/kg
Sublimation: -677.0 cal/g, -2,830,000 J/kg
Freezing: +79.7 cal/g, +330,000 J/kg
Condensation: +597.3 cal/g, +2,500,000 J/kg
Deposition: +677.0 cal/g, +2,830,000 J/kg
 Process of Condensation
The process of condensation can be set in motion in the
atmosphere due to four different mechanisms:
1. Adiabatic cooling of air to saturation by upward lifting of air
resulting from decrease in barometric pressure
2. Radiational cooling by contact with cold objects when air comes in
contact with objects whose temperature is below dew point
temperature of the air.
3. Isobaric cooling of air to its dew point when condensation occurs at
the same level itself
4. Mixing of saturated air parcels having different temperatures.

Requirements for condensation

Common requirements for condensation are:
1. Saturation of air either by lowering the temperature or by adding
water vapour to it.
2. Availability of condensation nuclei (dust, aerosols, salt particles,
gas molecules on which water vapour will condense.
3. Isobaric temperature change (cooling of air at constant pressure
without gain or loss of water vapour).
4. Adequacy of water vapour for condensation to proceed.
Condensation Nuclei
The particles (objects), present in the atmosphere, on which condensation
of water vapour occurs are called condensation nuclei. The particles may be
microscopic or submicroscopic (0.1 to 1.0 micron) like salt particles (sodium
chloride, magnesium chloride), gas molecule (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, nitric
oxide) or dust particles present in the atmosphere.
If condensation occurs at some height above the earth surface, there must
be hygroscopic nuclei. These may be hygroscopic dust particles, aerosols, salt
particles or gas molecules. Condensation on these surfaces occurs only when
relative humidity becomes more than l00%. If such hygroscopic nuclei are
not present, condensation occurs only when relative humidity reaches about
400%. If condensation nuclei are large in size, condensation may start at about 75
per cent RH. As the RH increases, and reaches 100 per cent, the size of the
condensed particles increases and clouds are formed.

There may be 2000 to 5000 hygroscopic nuclei cm-3 of air.

 Forms of condensation
Different forms of condensation are:
A. On the basis of location
•Condensation near the ground -
- Dew, fog, mist, haze or smog, frost.
•Condensation in troposphere -
- Clouds, Precipitation
B. On the basis of temp. at which dew point reached
•Dew point lower than F.P.-
-White frost, snow, some clouds (cirrus)
•Dew point higher than F.P.-
-Dew, fog and clouds,
1.Dew: Condensed moisture in the form of liquid droplets as a consequence of
contact cooling is dew.
Dew point – The temp. at which dew appears.
At dew point AVP = SVP
It is the form of direct condensation of water vapour to liquid drops that deposit
on any vegetative or hard- rapidly cooling object.
When the objects on the surface of the earth get cooled in the night below dew
point temp., the water vapour is condensed on the surfaces such as plant leaves,
window glasses etc which are good radiators and bad conductors of heat. Even
slight cooling of saturated air will cause condensation.
Formation of dew on grass cover, leaves, metallic surfaces, paper, window glasses
etc. is of common observation in early morning.
Dew visible on non-living object may be from atmospheric water vapour or from
water vapour from underlying moist surface, following rain.
In the case of plant surfaces, in addition to the above two, water transpired by
lower surfaces condenses on upper colder surfaces.
Favourable conditions for dew formation are:
1. Cool and long night as in winter
2. Still or calm air (no movement of air)
3. Moist air at sunset – High water vapour in atmosphere at
sunset
4. Low temperature (>F.P.)
5. Presence of non conducting layers on the ground.
Dew is important in agriculture and ecology in several ways:
1. Foliar absorption of dew is an important factor in survival of
natural vegetation specially in arid regions
2. The dew benefits dry-land winter crops like wheat and
gram, especially at reproductive stage
3. Dew reduces transpiration losses of water and minimizes
crop water requirements.
4. Help in maintaining water balance.
5. Increased humidity due to dew formation in the crop canopy
accelerates pest and disease build up.
2. Fog:
Microscopically small droplets of water condensed and remain
suspended in the air near the ground which reduces horizontal
visibility are called fog.
When the temp. of an air mass containing a large quantity of water
vapour falls all of a sudden, condensation within itself on fine dust
particles.
Conditions favourable for Fog formation :
1. Temperature of air near ground falls below dew point
2. Wind is calm and
3. RH is more than 75 per cent.
Diameter of the particles forming fog varies 0.1 to 0.01 mm.
Types of fog :
1. Radiation fog
2. Advection fog
3. Frontal fog
Fog is an important source of moisture for natural vegetation. It can
benefit crops through its contribution in water balance maintenance.
❖ Fogs are also formed when air moves upward against mountain slopes. The
moving air has high relative humidity. Upward moving air cools by adiabatic
expansion. This fog becomes denser and is maintained against high wind
velocity.
❖ Rapid cooling due to fast rise of air up the slope, upsets the downward
transport of heat by turbulence and results in fog.
Fog Cloud
Formed near ground surface Formed at altitudes
Formed due to radiation/advection Formed due to adiabatic cooling
cooling
Fog restrict horizontal visibility as per the Restricts vertical visibility
density of the fog
3. Smog : The blend of fog and smoke, called smog, is more common in city
and industrial areas. It is a kind of air pollution and results into poor
visibility.
4. Mist : Wet hygroscopic particles suspended in the air. It is less dense than
fog and disappears with rising sun. Mist contains more moisture than fog.
More frequent over mountains as the rising warm air up the slopes meets a
cold surface
5. Frost : When air temperatures at screen level drops down to or
below the freezing point, water vapour sublimates (passes directly
from vapour to solid phase) and ice crystals are formed. These
crystals are called frost. It is a form of sublimation.

Frost is not frozen dew. It is the ice formed directly from water vapour
by sublimation.

Conditions for formation of dew and frost are similar as the

condensations process is practically same. However, dew forms
when condensation occurs on cold objects above the freezing point,
where as frost forms when condensation takes place below freezing
point.

Frost may form due to excessive radiational cooling of ground

surface in clear and fairly calm and dry weather.
It may also due to advection (wind currents bringing air from cold
regions).
 Types of frost

1. Radiation frost
2. Advection frost
Radiation frost Advection frost
Occurs on clear nights with little or Occurs at any time whatever may be
no winds state of the sky
When outgoing radiation is excessive When a wind speed usually exceeds
under such conditions the air 4 mph, it brings the air from cold
temperature generally increases region and increase the chances of
with height advection frost.

In some cases, wind frost is intensified by a radiation frost.

Haze : It is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where

dust, smoke, and other particles obscure the clarity of the sky
(No condensation). Smog is similar to haze but there is
condensation in smog.