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Notes - Humidity - ICSE CLASS 10

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72 views

Notes - Humidity - ICSE CLASS 10

Uploaded by

Vee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HUMIDITY

Evaporation: the process by which water vapour enters the atmosphere on heating
Factors affecting evaporation –
(1) Humidity: dry air favours evaporation since it has more capacity to hold water vapour than
humid air
(2) Supply of heat: the greater the heat of the water surface and the air above it, the greater will
be the rate of evaporation
(3) Winds: Strong winds promote evaporation because the air above the water's surface is
constantly getting replaced by drier air

Condensation: the process by which water vapour forms water droplets on cooling
Conditions:
 Water vapour is added to saturated air
 When the temperature falls below the temperature at which the air becomes saturated
 High amount of water vapour must be present
 minuscule particles of dust, salt, and even smoke act as condensation nuclei and allow the
water to condense around them
 The temperature of air must be below dew point to encourage condensation
Forms of condensation –
1. Clouds:
 formed when minute droplets of water vapour condense on a nuclei and remain
suspended in air.
 condensation nuclei: impurities in the air that support condensation
Classification of clouds:
(i) Cirrus – fleecy like wool, generally at high altitude
(ii)Cumulus – cauliflower-like shape, rain-bearing clouds, base Is horizontal, top is dome-
shaped
(iii) Stratus – layered structure

2. Dew: formed when water vapour condenses on the surface and forms tiny droplets of water
called dew. It mainly occurs in winter on account of air cooling below the dew point

3. Frost: When the temperature falls below the freezing point, i.e. 0°C, water vapour present on
various surfaces such as leaves, rocks or grass freezes into crystals of ice known as frost. It is
harmful to plants.

4. Fog and mist:


 droplets of water suspended in the atmosphere close to the surface of the earth are
termed fog.
 On long winter nights, the ground cools much faster than air; such cooling reduces the
temperature at the surface to blow the dew point. Water vapour at lower levels starts
to condense around minute solid particles, forming fog.
Precipitation – the process by which the droplets fall to the ground in liquid, solid or frozen form
Forms of precipitation:
1. Rain: the most common form of precipitation. Raindrops of smaller size and less intensity are
called drizzle
2. Hail: When solid pieces of ice fall onto the surface of the Earth, it is known as hail.
3. Snow: water droplets that go higher and freeze on account of a drop in temperature.
TYPES OF RAINFALL:
1. Convectional Rainfall
• Convectional rainfall mostly occurs in the equatorial regions.
•Equatorial regions receive annual rainfall of more than 200 cm.
• High temperature in the equatorial regions results in a high rate of evaporation.
• Such heated air rises in the form of convectional currents and leads to the formation of
clouds at about 10km height.
• Ascending currents of hot and humid air result in condensation, resulting in heavy rainfall.
• this rain occurs at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and is thus called the 4 o'clock shower.
• This rainfall is associated with thunder and lightning.

2. Orographic or Relief Rainfall


• Relief rainfall is called so because it is affected by the relief or physical features of a place,
i.e. mountains.
• occurs due to the cooling of warm, moist air that ascends above the mountain barrier lying
in the direction of the prevailing winds.
• When the moisture-bearing winds strike a mountain range, it is forced to ascend.
• The sudden ascent causes cooling of the air, leading to condensation and precipitation.
• On descending the leeward slope, a decrease in altitude increases both temperature and
pressure, leading to the air getting compressed and warm.
• as a result, the relative humidity drops, and there is little to no rainfall on the leeward side
(rain shadow area)
• western ghats cause heavy rainfall on the windward side
• The Himalayan barrier makes the winds shed their moisture on the windward side on the
slopes facing south.
• East Brazil, East China, south-east USA
• Relief rainfall is especially heavy in the hot and humid areas bounded by tropical oceans.
3. Cyclonic or Frontal Rainfall
• Due to cyclones – tropical latitudes
Depressions – temperate latitudes
Irrespective of relief or convection
• When two masses of air of unlike density, temperature, and humidity meet, it is formed. This
type of rainfall occurs when the warm and the cold air meet each other.
• Because the warm air is lighter, it rises above the cold air.
• The rising air is then cooled beyond the saturation point while undergoing a frontal lift,
resulting in heavy rainfall.
• Fronts – Boundary zones of these air masses
• Such rainfall lasts only for a few hours. It is very heavy during tropical cyclones.
• In temperate depressions, rainfall is in the form of continuous drizzle, lasts for several days,

Humidity: the amount of water vapour present in the air


 Inversely proportional to heat
 Low humidity is more favourable to humans

Absolute humidity: the amount of water vapour held by air at a certain temperature and volume
 Since air rises upwards, absolute humidity may change. Therefore, in weather calculations,
absolute humidity is generally not taken into account
Relative humidity: the ratio between the absolute humidity of a given mass of air and the maximum
amount of water that it can hold at the same temperature.
Dew point: the temperature at which air gets fully saturated
 600 cal of heat = change 1 gram of liquid water to its gaseous state
Latent heat: heat loss occurs during evaporation. The heat passes into water vapour in a hidden form
known as latent heat.
Q – During the rainy season, why does one feel more heat than when the skies are clear?
A – When condensation occurs, the latent heat is released back into the atmosphere, causing a slight
rise in temperature

 Tropical deserts: surrounded by seas, evaporation max because of high temperatures and
clear skies
 Low latitudes: have a relatively high temperature, so evaporation is greater
 Equatorial regions: the sky often remains overcast with clouds and evaporation is relatively
low.

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