Earth Systems (B): EXPLORE: Water Stored in the Atmosphere

EXPLORE: Water Stored in the Atmosphere

Water Stored in the Atmosphere

Very small amounts of water occur in the atmosphere. Water stored in the atmosphere accounts for only 0.001% of the planet's total water. Water exists in the atmosphere in all three phases, depending on temperature and altitude in the atmosphere. It exists as clouds, precipitation, and water vapor. Humidity is a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air.

Clouds are perhaps the most obvious manifestation of water in the atmosphere. Clouds can form when warm air rises and cools; at that point, the water vapor condenses around condensation nuclei (particles of dust, pollen, ice, or salt in the atmosphere). Clouds can be composed of water droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of both. Explore the different types of clouds in the following interactive lesson.

Sources: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwlandsubside.html and Teachers' Domain, Cloud Types, published October 21, 2005, retrieved on June 9, 2010, http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.cloudtype/

Last modified: Wednesday, 12 January 2011, 11:19 AM

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