Water is the basis of life on planet Earth. Its circulation in nature makes us think about how dew, frost, rain and snow are formed. Temperature and pressure drops contribute to the rapid crystallization of liquid particles. And the morning coolness causes the formation of drops on the grass. The movement of the wind affects the change of winter and summer. This is how we watch the appearance of thunderstorms and snowflakes.
Shower
When considering how dew, frost, rain and snow are formed, one should become familiar with each natural phenomenon. The surface of the water during the day is heated by the sun's rays. There is a constant evaporation of moisture, even in cold weather. The smallest particles of liquid rush up. They meet cold layers of air.
As the particles cool down, they combine to form a cloud. It moves under the influence of wind over the surface of the earth. Gradually cooling, it turns blue. The water molecules get closer to each other until they coalesce into a drop. It freezes and already becomes heavy, falling down. This is how the real summer rain begins.
Flying to a certain height, wherethe air is already much warmer, the crystal begins to melt. Summer rain becomes stronger, the longer the evaporation of water and the accumulation of its particles in the sky.
Fog
By studying particles suspended in the air, one can understand in more detail how dew, frost, rain and snow are formed. One such phenomenon is fog. It also represents a cloud that did not have time to rise up, when, due to weather conditions, the upper layers are quite cold. Vapors cannot penetrate through them, and the temperature above the surface is not yet enough to form drops.
Fog forms more often in the morning, the temperature above the surface drops at this moment. The air becomes cold and the vapors are unable to rise high. Ponds, lakes and rivers continue to cool, giving off heat with water molecules to the surrounding space.
When the air gradually warms up, particles of steam either rush up or settle on the grass. This is how dew drops appear. After all, we often see them at dawn. Fog accumulates in hilly areas where there are ravines, gorges, lowlands.
Drops on plants during dawn
Everyone has experienced the phenomenon of dew appearing on the leaves of grass, trees, and other plants every morning. Settling droplets are the result of the continuous movement of water in nature. This happens at a time when the sun has already begun to warm the upper layers of the air. As a result, the condensate becomes heavier and gently descends.
When it accumulates near objects, plants, formeddew drops. Even things left outside get wet in the morning.
Dew formation is preceded by a day with clear weather, when there are no suspended particles of water in the sky. In such conditions, the greatest evaporation of moisture from the surface of the earth occurs. Drops on plants can only be seen in warm weather. In winter, they turn into frost, called hoarfrost.
Winter snowflakes
Precipitation from clouds in the form of crystals, which are patterned flakes, are called snow. Natural phenomenon refers to the water cycle in nature. Snowflakes are made of fresh water, only in the modern world they are not always clean. In the air near megacities there are pollution that attach to the particles of the liquid in the process of freezing.
Crystals gradually increase in size from the sky during gliding. In winter, we see a huge amount of snowflakes on the ground. When the frost is strong enough, they do not melt and you can clearly see each individual particle.
Researchers have noticed that snowflakes always have regular geometric shapes: they are six-pointed, the angles between the points are the same, but their pattern is always different. These data were obtained by examining the crystals under a microscope. A specific crunch when pressing on the snow in cold weather is associated with the destruction of ice.
Grad
To know how dew, frost, rain and snow are formed, you need to familiarize yourself with the process of hail formation in the sky. Often this phenomenon is observed in summer in hot weather. The mechanism of formation of ice ballsassociated with the cold airflow meeting the heated layers below.
To understand the principle of hail formation, the researchers sawed the ice ball and saw the heterogeneity of the structure. The layers differed in color and density. At the highest point in the atmosphere, particles of water mist immediately freeze before they turn into droplets. Under the influence of gravity, they begin to fall, acquiring surrounding liquid molecules.
Flying through the cloud, the ice becomes heavier, then the upper layers of the ball melt in the warm stream. But the hailstones fly down very quickly and do not have time to completely melt. That's why they come out so smooth.
Frost
When it is very cold outside, frost can form in the morning from the fog that has risen during the night. During the day, active evaporation of water from the surface of the earth occurs under the influence of the sun's rays. Ice on tree branches is formed due to the cold upper layers of the atmosphere, when water particles are not able to rise up. The phenomenon is preceded by clear and dry frosty weather.
It is not always snow on the ground, frost appears due to a sharp cold snap. The mechanism of water movement is similar to that observed during rain, only the entire cycle occurs at a low altitude. Clouds do not form, the released condensate quickly turns into ice.
