Water on Earth
Where is water found on Earth? Use the tabs to learn about how water is distributed and circulated in the Earth system.
- Precipitation forms when relative humidity reaches 100%.
- However, something else is required. Water molecules must cluster on microscopic impurities like sea salt, smoke or dust.
- Dew is water that condenses onto the grass or objects near the ground.
- While dew is less important in humid climates, it is vital in dry and subhumid climates.
- Dew can contribute to the water supply for plant life in these climates.
- Frost is similar to dew, because it occurs when moisture condenses.
- However, frost occurs only when the surface is near or below freezing
- Fog is not important to climate, but it does have impacts on human life.
- Fog occurs when water droplets become suspended in the air just above the surface.
- Fog can form when the temperature and the dewpoint become the same value. This can happen if the temperature of the air cools to the dewpoint, or if the dewpoint rises because of additional moisture added to the atmosphere.
