Indian and World Geography

Water in the atmosphere: humidity, clouds and precipitation

• Absolute and relative humidity, saturation and dew point
• Evaporation and condensation; latent heat
• Dew frost fog mist
• Cloud types: cirrus, cumulus, stratus, nimbus; high, middle, low and vertical clouds
• Radiative effects of clouds: low clouds reflect and cool, high thin clouds trap long-wave radiation and warm
• Forms of precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, hail
• Rainfall types: convectional, orographic (rain shadow), cyclonic or frontal
• World distribution of precipitation by latitude and coast