Phillip’s Weather Trivia: Which process is turning water vapor into a cloud?
Do you know the water cycle?
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The water cycle is a major part of the world’s weather. It is also a prime driver of hurricanes. Which part of the cycle is turning water vapor into a cloud?
I will give you a hint. Runoff is water which drains off the land into the ocean, so don’t guess that one.
Yes, condensation is the answer. Water evaporates from a body of water such as the ocean then it rises up in the sky as water vapor. As the water vapor cools, it goes through condensation to create a cloud. Once the droplets in the cloud run into each other they grow larger and eventually gravity pulls them down as precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc).
The process of condensation drives hurricanes because the latent heat release in the cloud helps propel the cloud upward which forces air to blow into the storm system. Basically, it is the water cycle process in overdrive which runs a hurricanes. The evaporation from the ocean cools the ocean which serves a great purpose to prevent the world from getting too hot in the tropics. The transfer of heat by the hurricane helps ballance the temperatures. They are nature’s great air conditioners. - Phillip Williams
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