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What is formed in the atmosphere when water vapor cools?
When water vapor in the air cools, the opposite of evaporation occurs: condensation. The condensation definition is water changing from a gas to a liquid. Condensation makes it possible for clouds to form. Clouds contain liquid water droplets and solid ice crystals.
What happens to water vapor in the atmosphere?
Water is constantly cycling through the atmosphere. Water evaporates from the Earth’s surface and rises on warm updrafts into the atmosphere. It condenses into clouds, is blown by the wind, and then falls back to the Earth as rain or snow.
Why is water vapor important in the atmosphere?
Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas. It controls the Earth’s temperature.” It’s true that water vapor is the largest contributor to the Earth’s greenhouse effect. On average, it probably accounts for about 60% of the warming effect.
How does liquid water turn into water vapor?
Evaporation happens when a liquid turns into a gas. When liquid water reaches a low enough temperature, it freezes and becomes a solid—ice. When solid water is exposed to enough heat, it will melt and return to a liquid. As that liquid water is further heated, it evaporates and becomes a gas—water vapor.
What is condensation What are the forms of condensation?
After condensation the water vapour or the moisture in the atmosphere takes one of the following forms — dew, frost, fog and clouds. Condensation takes place when the dew point is lower than the freezing point as well as higher than the freezing point.
What is the role of water vapor in atmospheric chemical reactions of some gases?
Some atmospheric gases, such as water vapour and CO2, absorb and re-emit infrared energy from the atmosphere down to the Earth’s surface. This process, the greenhouse effect, leads to a mean surface temperature that is 33 °C greater than it would be in its absence.
What happens when water vapor cools and condenses?
When water vapor cools, it condenses. It is a phase change where water changes from a gas to a liquid. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation. In the atmosphere, moisture condenses to form clouds at higher levels. When it condenses near the surface, fog forms.
What happens during condensation in the atmosphere?
It is a phase change where water changes from a gas to a liquid. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation. In the atmosphere, moisture condenses to form clouds at higher levels. When it condenses near the surface, fog forms. Many of these droplets of moisture join and form raindrops.
Where is the most water vapor in the atmosphere?
The distribution of atmospheric water vapor, a significant greenhouse gas, varies across the globe. During the summer and fall of 2005, this visualization shows that most vapor collects at tropical latitudes, particularly over south Asia, where monsoon thunderstorms swept the gas some 2 miles above the land. Credit: NASA.
What is the relationship between temperature and water vapor in the atmosphere?
Increasing water vapor leads to warmer temperatures, which causes more water vapor to be absorbed into the air. Warming and water absorption increase in a spiraling cycle.