1

Condensation, Clouds and PrecipitationCondensation, Clouds and Precipitation

2

Condensation and Dew Example

RW Christopherson. Geosystems 4ed. Figure 7-8a

Why does water condense on glass?

3

Temperature Inversion and Dew

Strahler and Strahler. 2000. Physical Geography.

Dew

LW

4Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Frost on a window in winter

5

Fog

• Evaporation

• Radiation

• Advection

6

Steam Fog over Lake Michigan 1998

http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~dcrogers/Lakeice/photos/jan13photos.html

7

Steam (Evaporation) Fog

Warmer Water

Warmer, Humid Air

Cooler Air

Steam Fog

8Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Radiation Fog

9

Radiation Fog Process

McKnight and Hess. Physical Geography. 2002

LW

10

‘Tule’ (Radiation) Fog

Aguado and Burt. 2000. Understanding Weather and Climate

11Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Advection Fog

12

What do Clouds tell you?

McKnight and Hess. Physical Geography. 2002

13

Visual Cloud Classification

McKnight and Hess. Physical Geography. 2002

14

Lifting by Cold Front

RW Christopherson. Geosystems 4ed. Figure 8-10

15

Cirrus

RW Christopherson. Geosystems 4ed. Figure 7-22

16

Thunderhead

Videodiscovery: The Atmosphere

17Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Cumulus Congestus

18Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Cumulus Humilis (Behind front)

19

Lifting by Warm Front

RW Christopherson. Geosystems 4ed. Figure 8-12

20

Cirrus

RW Christopherson. Geosystems 4ed. Figure 7-22

21Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Cirrostratus

22Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Altostratus

23Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Low-Lying Stratus

24Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Nimbostratus

25

Animation of Lenticular Cloud

EPOD - Donald Collins, Warren Wilson College

26Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Mammatus

27

Turbulence

Videodiscovery: The Atmosphere

28

Annual Precipitation

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/wayne/pentad.precip.html

29

Precipitation

• Cloud Droplets• Droplets to Raindrops• Precipitation forms

30Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Size Comparison

31

Growth of a Raindrop within a rain cloud

Videodiscovery: The Atmosphere

32

Raindrop Formation

• Warm Clouds

– Condensation– Collision -

Coalescence

• Cold Clouds

– Bergeron Process– Riming– Aggregation– (Collision –

Coalescence)

33Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Warm Clouds

Collision and Coalescence

34Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Precipitation in Cold Clouds

35Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Bergeron Process 1

36Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Bergeron Process 2

37Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Riming

38Ahrens. Meteorology, 7ed. 2002

Aggregation

39

Snow Crystals and Temperature

Yoshinori Furukawa, Institute of Low Temperature Science

40

Snow line over West Texas

http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/2005_snow_line.jpg

41

Cloud Formation Over Lakes 2/4/02

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=7281

42

Hailstone

NOAA