Climatology

Which Is “Heavier”—Humid Air or Dry Air?

Is Humid Air Heavier Than Dry Air? Scientific Facts 2025

Humid air is actually lighter than dry air at the same temperature and pressure. This counterintuitive fact occurs because water vapor molecules (H₂O, molecular weight 18) are lighter than the nitrogen (N₂, molecular weight 28) and oxygen (O₂, molecular weight 32) molecules they replace in the atmosphere. According to Avogadro’s law, equal volumes of gases contain the same number of molecules, so when lighter water vapor displaces heavier air molecules, the overall mass decreases, making humid air less dense than dry air.

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hydrologic cycle.

Water Circulation in the Atmosphere

Within the atmosphere, there exists a continuous and dynamic movement of water, termed the hydrologic cycle. Given that the oceans encompass more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface, this cyclical process is best conceptualized as originating above the oceanic expanse. At this point, the sun’s radiant energy facilitates the transformation of immense volumes of liquid

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LATENT HEAT

latent heat

What is meant by latent heat? Water vapor exists as an invisible gas that only becomes perceptible when it undergoes transformation into larger liquid or solid (ice) particles. This alteration in physical form is recognized as a phase transition or change of state. The thermal energy necessary to induce such a transformation in a substance

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Mean Sea level pressure in July

Wind and Pressure Distribution on the Earth Surface for GSI, GG Gate, and CSIR Earth Science NET Exam

Distribution of Wind and Pressure over the surface of the earth In subtropical region, the northeast trade winds and southeast trade winds prevail in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively. They are separated near the equator by a zone of prevailing calms known as ‘doldrums’. However, the doldrums are frequently absent in one part or

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Latitudinal variation in annual average of radiation

Circulation of the Atmosphere for GSI, CSIR NET, and GATE GG Exam

General Circulation of the atmosphere  The simplest observed global characteristic of the atmosphere is that the tropics are much warmer than the poles. As discussed earlier, this is a straightforward consequence of the geometry of the earth. The annually averaged incoming solar radiation per unit area of the earth’s surface is much greater at the

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Factors Controlling Climate: Overview of Climatic Controls for GSI, CSIR-NET, and GG GATE Exam Preparation

Factors Controlling Climate: Overview of Climatic Controls for GSI, CSIR-NET, and GG GATE Exam Preparation

Controls of Climate Climatic controls are the factors affecting the climate of a particular place. The most fundamental control of both weather and climate is the unequal heating and cooling of the atmosphere in different parts of the earth. While the earth as a whole loses as much heat to space as it gains from

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Weather, Climate, and Climatic Elements for GSI, CSIR NET, and GG GATE Exam

Weather, Climate, and Climatic Elements for GSI, CSIR NET, and GG GATE Exam

Weather, Climate and Climatic Elements Weather is the instantaneous state of the atmosphere, or the sequence of the states of the atmosphere as time passes. The difference between climate and weather is usefully summarized by the popular phrase “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.” Weather and climate are meteorological terms that

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Terrestrial Radiation and Heat Balance: Key Concepts for GSI NET and GATE Exam

Terrestrial Radiation and Heat Balance: Key Concepts for GSI NET and GATE Exam

Terrestrial Radiation The absorption of solar radiation raises the temperature of the earth’s surface and atmosphere. The radiation emitted from the land and water surfaces of the earth is long-wave radiation, unlike the short-wave radiation it receives from the sun. The earth’s average temperature approaches 294 Kº, and it emits long-wave radiation within the range

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Solar Energy and the Solar Constant

Solar Radiation and Its Impact on Earth’s Weather for GATE, NET, and GSI Exams

Solar Radiation The weather results from the interaction of solar radiation with the earth’s atmosphere and surface. Earth’s rotation and revolution explain the changing elevation of the sun, along with the latitudinal and seasonal variations in day length, receipt, and escape of radiation, which together affect weather conditions. The Sun as an Energy Source The

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Earth – Sun Relationship

Earth-Sun Relationship: Rotation, Revolution, Solstices, and Seasons Explained for GATE, NET, GSI Exams

Earth-Sun Relationship General Division of Seasons Generally, the division of the year into seasons varies with latitude. In middle latitudes, the year is divided into ‘autumn’, ‘winter’, ‘spring’, and ‘summer’. The terms ‘summer’ and ‘winter’ are not as significant in the tropics. Instead, division is usually made in terms of rainfall, such as the ‘rainy

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