ATS 351 - Lecture 5

Water in the Atmosphere

Water is very important!

Hydrologic Cycle

Properties of Water
Physical States
Gas (Water Vapor)
Molecules move freely and mix well with other molecules

Liquid
Molecules are close together and constantly bump one another

Solid
In ice, molecules are arranged in a hexagonal crystal

Ice Molecule

Only natural substance that occurs naturally in all three states on Earths surface

Phases of Water
Condensation Evaporation Melting Freezing Sublimation
Molecules have enough energy to escape from the surface of ice into air above and directly into the vapor phase

Deposition
Water vapor molecule attaches itself to an ice crystal and changes to ice

Evaporation
Water has a very high surface tension Takes energy to break the hydrogen bonds on a water surface in order to evaporate What can enhance evaporation from the surface of water?
When temperatures are increases, molecules move faster (gain energy) and can break the surface tension more easily Wind also enhances evaporation

Condensation
Depends on temperature
For condensation to be really effective, water vapor needs something to condense onto. We call these things in air Condensation Nuclei.
Dust, smoke, salts, other particles

When air is warm and molecules move fast, water vapor may bounce off the Condensation Nuclei. When air is cold and molecules move more slowly, water vapor is more likely to stick.
This shows, again, that you are more likely to have more water in the vapor form in warm air than in cold air.

Saturation
If we evaporate water in a closed container, eventually the evaporated water vapor will condense back into the liquid. The air above the water is said to be saturated with water vapor when the evaporation and condensation rates reach equilibrium. With the same number of water vapor molecules in the air, saturation is more likely to occur in cool air than warm air.

So, we have all this really important water vapor in the air all of the time. It would be really helpful if we could keep track of it.

Lets review how we measure water vapor in the atmosphere.

Absolute Humidity
Absolute humidity tells us the mass of water vapor in a fixed volume of air - or water vapor density
Absolute Humidity mass of water vapor volume of air

When a volume of air fluctuates, the absolute humidity changes even though the vapor content has remained constant
Therefore, absolute humidity is not commonly used in atmospheric studies.

Specific Humidity (q)

When the mass of the water vapor in the parcel is compared with the mass of all air in the parcel (vapor included)
Specific Humidity mass of water vapor total mass of air

This measurement does not change as a parcel rises and descends.

Zonally Averaged Specific Humidity

Mixing Ratio
Compares the mass of the water vapor in the parcel to the mass of the remaining dry air.
Mixing Ratio mass of water vapor mass of dry air

Very similar to specific humidity

Uses only dry air, where specific humidity uses the dry air PLUS the water vapor itself

Mixing ratio (and specific humidity) stay constant as long as water vapor is not added to or removed from the parcel.

Vapor Pressure (e)

The airs moisture content may also be described by measuring the pressure exerted by the water vapor in the air. Daltons Law
The total pressure exerted by the gases in a mixture is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual component in a gas mixture. For 1000 mb of air:
78% N2 = 780 mb 21% O2 = 210 mb 1% H2O(v) = 10 mb ---> actual vapor pressure

More air = more pressure Higher vapor pressure = Larger # of water vapor molecules

Saturation Vapor Pressure (es)

Recall: when evaporation and condensation are in equilibrium, the air is saturated with water vapor. Saturation vapor pressure describes how much water vapor is necessary to make the air saturated at any given temperature.
It is the pressure that that amount of vapor would exert.

 Saturation vapor pressure depends primarily on the air temperature.

Exponential relationship

When water and ice both exist below freezing at the same temperature, the saturation vapor pressure just above water is greater than the saturation vapor pressure over ice.

Relative Humidity (RH)

RH does not indicate the actual amount of water vapor in the air, but instead tells us how close the air is to becoming saturated
water vapor content RH water vapor capacity

RH = 100% is saturated air RH > 100% is supersaturated air

RH actual vapor pressure 100% saturation vapor pressure

RH

actual mixing ratio 100% saturation mixing ratio

Changing Relative Humidity

How do we alter a locations relative humidity?
Change the water vapor content
Increase w.v. content raise actual vapor pressure relative humidity increases

Change the air temperature

Increase temperature increase saturation vapor pressure relative humidity decreases Warm = faster molecules = less likely to condense = lower RH

Reminder:

RH

actual vapor pressure 100% saturation vapor pressure

Relative Humidity
Since water vapor content generally does not vary much during an entire day, changing air temperature primarily regulates the daily variation in relative humidity

Dew Point
Temperature to which air would have to be cooled for saturation to occur (with respect to water). It is a good indicator of airs actual water vapor content
Higher dew point = higher water vapor content Adding w.v. to the air increases the dew point

Frost point: when dew point is determined with respect to a flat surface of ice

Dew Point & RH

Relative humidity can be misleading in indicating areas with high water vapor content. Dew point is important to look at, along with RH, in order to determine the water vapor content of a location. One location has a RH of 100% and a dew point of 0F while a second location has a RH of only 35% but a dew point of 45F
Which location has more water vapor in the air?
Dry air can have high relative humidity.

July Dew Point Averages

Skew T Diagrams
Since the advent of rawinsonde observations, thermodynamic diagrams have been used to plot sounding data and to assess atmospheric stability. Despite numerous advancements in technology and forecast techniques, the thermodynamic diagram remains an essential tool of today's weather forecaster.

Skew T Diagrams
Why are skew T diagrams useful?
Forecasting applications:
Temperature and dew point profile of atmosphere Daily maximum temperature Level of cloud formation Stable vs. unstable air Precipitation type (icing forecasting) Level of tropopause CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) Microburst forecasting And many more

Isobars (pressure)

Isotherms (temperature)
In Celsius

Dry Adiabats

Saturation Adiabats

Saturation Mixing Ratio

@ 950 mb T=15C Td=0C

Td

Finding mixing ratio (w)

Td

Finding saturation mixing ratio (ws)

Td