Chapter 10: Water in the Atmosphere
Geography - Fundamental of Physical Geography • Class 11
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Chapter Analysis
Intermediate6 pages • EnglishQuick Summary
The chapter 'Water in the Atmosphere' from the Geography textbook covers how water is present and cycles in the atmosphere. It discusses processes such as evaporation and condensation, which are essential for cloud formation and precipitation. The chapter also explains various precipitation types, including rain, snow, and sleet, and explores concepts like humidity and the dew point. Furthermore, it describes different types of clouds based on their formation and characteristics.
Key Topics
- •Evaporation and condensation
- •Types of precipitation
- •Cloud formation and classification
- •Humidity, absolute and relative
- •Processes leading to dew and frost
- •Impact of atmospheric temperature and pressure
- •Difference between fog, mist, and smog
- •World distribution of rainfall
Learning Objectives
- ✓Understand the processes of evaporation and condensation in the atmosphere.
- ✓Identify different forms of precipitation and their processes.
- ✓Classify clouds based on their physical characteristics and formation processes.
- ✓Explain the concepts of absolute and relative humidity.
- ✓Describe how various atmospheric conditions influence weather phenomena.
- ✓Comprehend the global patterns of precipitation and their regional impacts.
Questions in Chapter
Which one of the following is the highest cloud in the sky?
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Name the three types of precipitation.
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Explain relative humidity.
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Why does the amount of water vapour decreases rapidly with altitude?
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How are clouds formed? Classify them.
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Discuss the salient features of the world distribution of precipitation.
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What are forms of condensation? Describe the process of dew and frost formation.
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Additional Practice Questions
How do temperature and pressure affect the process of condensation in the atmosphere?
mediumAnswer: Condensation in the atmosphere is influenced by temperature, as cooling air loses its capacity to hold moisture, leading to water vapor condensing into liquid form. Pressure influences condensation through its effect on temperature and volume, as reduced pressure associated with reduced temperature may enhance condensation.
Why is understanding the concept of relative humidity important in weather prediction?
mediumAnswer: Relative humidity is crucial in weather prediction because it indicates how saturated the air is with moisture. High relative humidity often leads to cloud formation and precipitation, while low relative humidity might suggest dry weather conditions. Therefore, it helps meteorologists forecast weather patterns.
Describe the conditions necessary for the formation of fog and mist.
easyAnswer: Fog and mist form when air is saturated with moisture close to the ground, usually due to a drop in temperature. Fog is a cloud ground-level phenomenon where the visibility drops significantly, while mist has slightly better visibility with thicker moisture layers on nuclei. Both require moist air and typically calm conditions.
What are the main differences between hail and sleet as forms of precipitation?
hardAnswer: Hail forms in strong thunderstorm clouds when updrafts carry rain droplets upward into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere where they freeze into balls of ice. Sleet, however, occurs when raindrops fall through a layer of freezing air near the surface, turning them into ice pellets before they hit the ground.
How do orographic and cyclonic rainfall differ in terms of formation and regions affected?
hardAnswer: Orographic rainfall occurs when moist air ascends a mountain, cools, and condenses to form rain, predominantly affecting windward mountain slopes. Cyclonic rainfall, however, is associated with cyclones and occurs due to the convergence and uplift of air masses along a front, impacting larger regions, varying latitude.