5-1-24 Flashcards
Important ESRT Pages:
P.12 Dewpoint and Relative Humidity (review video)
Absolute humidity:
The amount of water vapor that is in the atmosphere
Relative humidity:
The amount of water in the atmosphere compared to the amount of water that the atmosphere could hold (percentage). The relative humidity is 100% when the air temperature and the dew point temperatures are equal.
Dew Point:
The point at which the air is saturated (the dew point temperature); when air rises and expands, it then cools to the dew point and condenses into clouds (RECC); it is called the dew point because when the outside temperature falls below the dew point, dew (or frost if below freezing) can form on grass and other surfaces.
Saturated:
Completely full of water (the air is holding the maximum amount of water vapor at that temperature – no more evaporation can occur)
In order to determine the relative humidity or dew point, we use a ______________ (wet bulb/dry bulb)
psychrometer
Air does what to form clouds?
Rises, Expands, Cools to dew point, Condenses (R.E.C.C.C.)
Condensation Nuclei
Water vapor must condense onto small particles of dust or pollen or smoke in the air
Water enters the atmosphere by:
Evaporation (mostly from oceans)
Transpiration (from plants)
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase.
Transpiration
the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers.
Evaporation relationship to relative humidity…
Evaporation will decrease as relative humidity increases.
The characteristics of an air mass are determined by the region over which it formed:
Continental Artic
cA
very cold, dry
Continental Polar
cP
cold, dry
