Water in the atmosphere can exist as water vapor, which is an invisible gas. It can also form clouds, which are condensed water droplets or ice crystals. Lastly, water in the atmosphere can fall back to the Earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Chat with our AI personalities
Water vapor, liquid water droplets, and ice crystals are the three states of water that can exist in the atmosphere.
Water transfers into the atmosphere through processes like evaporation from bodies of water, such as oceans, lakes, and rivers, and transpiration from plants. Additionally, water can enter the atmosphere through sublimation from snow or ice directly into water vapor.
Three types of water found in the atmosphere are water vapor (gaseous form), liquid water in the form of clouds and precipitation, and ice crystals found in high-altitude clouds such as cirrus clouds.
Three ways energy is transferred from Earth's surface to the atmosphere are through radiation, conduction, and convection. Radiation occurs when heat is emitted in the form of infrared radiation. Conduction refers to the direct transfer of heat between objects in contact. Convection involves the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids, such as air and water.
Water vapor enters the atmosphere through evaporation, where liquid water on the Earth's surface changes into a gas, and through transpiration, where water vapor is released from plants through their leaves.