CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, FORMATION OF DEW, FOG,

MIST, FROST, CLOUD

Condensation is the process through which the physical state of matter changes from the
gaseous phase into the liquid phase. For example, condensation occurs when water vapour
(gaseous form) in the air comes in contact with a cold surface, it condenses to form water
droplets (liquid form). The opposite of condensation is evaporation reaction.
Process of Condensation
Just like any other matter, water also consists of molecules. The molecules are energetic, fast-
moving and airy when they are in the form of vapour. Thus, when this vapor bumps into cooler
temperatures, they become the opposite. That is, they get slower, lesser energetic and drift
closer. Subsequently, the vapour turns into liquid upon reaching a threshold energy level.
Cloud formation
Clouds has been defined as a visible aggregation of minute water droplets and / or ice particles
in the air, usually above the general ground level.
Air contains moisture, this is
extremely important to the
formation of clouds. Cloud is
formed around microscopic
particles such as dust, smoke, salt
crystals & other materials that
are present in the atmosphere.
These materials are called
"Cloud condensation Nuclei"
(CCN). Water molecules arise
from the earth’s surface through
evaporation by the sun as they
weigh less. Without these no
cloud formation will take place.
Increasing rapidly
These water vapours cooldown on reaching higher altitudes and stop escalating once they reach
saturation known as the frost point. Droplets now float in the air and form clusters with other
droplets and CCN, finally combining to form huge water masses which appear to us as clouds.
Generally, clouds are made up of billions of tiny water droplets or ice crystals or combination
of both. These crystals grow rapidly drawing moisture from the surrounding cloud droplets
until their weight causes them to fall. Falling ice crystals may melt and join with smaller liquid
cloud droplets resulting in rain drops. If ice crystals do not melt, they may grow into large
snowflakes and reach the ground as snow. There are two cloud forming process viz., Warm
(have tops warmer than about 0°C; comprised entirely of water) and Cold (clouds with tops
colder than 0°C; comprised of water, super-cooled water, ice). Super cooled water is found at
altitudes where temperature is around -40°C.
Conditions favourable for the occurrence of precipitation
✓ The cloud dimension (vertical: 7 km, horizontal: 60-70 km)
✓ The life time of the cloud (at least 2-3 hrs.)
✓ RH should be 75%
✓ Wind velocity 20 km.
Cloud Seeding: It is the process by which the conditions of the cloud (dimension, life time and
size), are modified by supplying them with suitable nuclei at proper time and place. For
accelerating the warm rain process seeding with very large nuclei such as salt crystals can be
used. In the case of cold rain process, seeding with ice nuclei such as silver iodide are used.
Precipitation: Precipitation has been defined as water in liquid or solid forms falling to the
earth. Precipitation occurs in a variety of forms such as rainfall, snow, hail, fog and dew. Fog,
dew and frost are not considered to be common precipitation. Common precipitation forms are
rain, drizzle, snow, hail, sleet etc.
• Rainfall: It is the fall of atmospheric moisture in the form of water due to gravity.
• Snow: Precipitation of white opaque crystals when cloud forms below 0°C.
• Hail: It falls in the form of small ice pellets and is a very destructive form of
precipitation produced by thunderstorms or cumulonimbus clouds.
• Sleet: It is a mix of rain and snow or it is frozen rain that forms when rain passes through
very cold air mass before reaching the land.
• Drizzle: Very small and uniform sized raindrops (less than 0.5 mm size).
Generally, three different types of rainfall are recognized
1. Convectional Rain
Convectional rain occurs mainly in equatorial regions where daily heating of the ground surface
causes convection currents. The sky becomes overcast by afternoon daily causing pitch
darkness and heavy rains to follow. Thus, the convectional rainfall in the equatorial region is a
daily feature.
In this type of rainfall, there is a thermal convective rise of hot and humid air. For the hot and
humid air to rise two conditions are necessary-
i. Presence of moisture through evaporation to the air so that relative humidity becomes
high.
ii. Intense heating of ground surface through incoming short wave solar radiation,
insolation heating.
The ground surface is intensely heated due to the enormous amount of heat received. The air
in contact with a warm surface also gets heated expands and ultimately rises upward. The
ascending warm and moist air cools becomes saturated, causes condensation and cloud
formation, and rainfall starts.
India receives convectional rainfall during the summer season before the onset of Southwest
monsoon these are known by local names in India like mango showers, Kal Baisakhi, bhardoli
cheera and others.
 2. Orographic rain
The rain which is caused by the physiographic barrier for falling in the path of moisture-laden
air is known as orographic rainfall. The moisture in the air is forced to rise which gets cooled
adiabatically leading to condensation, cloud formation, and rain. This occurs on the windward
side of the hill or by any other physiographic barrier like plateau or mountain.
Necessary conditions for the occurrence of orographic rainfall are
• There should be mountain barriers across the wind direction so that the moist air is
forced on obstruction to move upwards.
• There should be enough moisture content in the air and the presence of an onshore wind
that is hot and humid.

3. Cyclonic or frontal rain

This occurs due to the convergence of extensive air masses. When two contrasting air masses
like cold polar air mass and warm westerly air mass coming from opposite directions converge
along a line where, the warm wind is lifted upward and cold air being heavier settles down.
Frontal rainfall is most common in mid-latitudes as it is a zone of convergence of warm
westerlies and cold polar easterlies. Frontogenesis is also the basis of the formation of
temperate cyclones. Temperate cyclones produce frontal rainfall in India during the winter
season in North-Western parts of India which are known as western disturbances.
Dew
Dew is the condensation
into liquid droplets of water
vapor on a substrate. Hot air
contains more moisture as
compare to cool air. During
chilled night, when the hot
air comes in contact with
the cold air, water vapour
present in the air, condenses
and form droplets. That
make a coating on cold
surfaces and on the leaves
of grassland. The
temperature at which droplet formation occurs is called the dew point (dew forms when the
temperature becomes equal to the dewpoint). The soil is often the moisture source for the dew.
Warm and moist soils will help with the formation of dew as the soil cools overnight.
Frost
When temperatures drop below freezing and the temperature reaches the dew or frost point, the
ice on the ground is termed frost or frozen dew. "Frost" can form in two ways: Either by
deposition or freezing. Depositional frost is also known as white frost or hoar frost. It occurs
when the dewpoint (now called the frost point) is below freezing. When this frost forms the
water vapor goes directly to the solid state. Depositional frost covers the vegetation, cars, etc.

Frozen dew Hoar frost

with ice crystal patterns. If the depositional frost is thick enough, it resembles a light snowfall.
Frost that forms due to the freezing of liquid water is best referred to as frozen dew.
Fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting
of tiny water droplets or ice crystals
suspended in the air at or near the
Earth's surface. Fog can be
considered a type of low-lying cloud
usually resembling stratus, and is
heavily influenced by nearby bodies
of water, topography, and wind
conditions. During condensation,
molecules of water vapor combine
to make tiny liquid water droplets
that hang in the air. In fog visibility
is less than 1 km.

Conditions required for the formation of dew & frost are

✓ Clear sky
✓ Cool air
✓ Sufficient moisture to reach the dew point with a moderate amount of cooling.
Mist
• The difference between the mist and fog is that mist contains more moisture than fog.
• In mist each nuclei contains a thicker layer of moisture.
• Mists are frequent over mountains as the rising warm air up the slopes meets a cold
surface.
• This means mist is less dense.
• In mist visibility is more than 1 km but less than 2 km.