MECHANISMS OF PRECIPITATION FORMATION

Moisture source must be available.

Moist air must undergo lifting and resultant cooling.

FORMATION OF
A phase change must occur with resultant condensation onto small nuclei
PRECIPITATION in the air.
CEP14 Hydrology
Droplets must grow large enough to overcome drag and evaporation to
Engr. SiddArtha Valle | AY 2021-22 2nd Sem reach the ground.

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

CONDENSATION

• Water vapor into droplets occur due to cooling of moist air to a

temperature below saturation point for water vapor
• DEW POINT: Temperature at which a sample of air must be cooled
to reach saturation

• Achieved through vertical lifting to levels where pressure and

temperature are lower

• A large portion of the atmosphere lies within 18,000 ft of the surface

and contains most of the clouds and moisture

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
 Specific humidity

Mass of water vapor in a unit

mass of moist air

Relative humidity

Ratio of the air’s actual water

vapor content compared to
the amount of water vapor at
saturation for that
temperature
HUMIDITY: Measure of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere
CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

• Small condensation
nuclei must be present
for the formation of
cloud droplets

• Nuclei come from • Range in size form 0.1 – 10 micron

many sources →
ocean salt, dust form • Cloud droplets originally range from 0.01 mm in diameter and
clay soils, industrial it is only when they exceed 0.5 mm in diameter that significant
combustion products precipitation occurs
and volcanic dusts
• It may take hours for a small raindrop (1 mm ) to grow on a
condensation nucleus.

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
 A FOG is a low cloud with a base that is near the ground; results from cooling
near the surface or from the addition of enough water to cause saturation

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

ICE CRYSTAL PROCESS

COALESCENCE • Attracts condensation on

As the droplets increase in mass,
they begin to move relative to the
overall cloud.
As water droplets fall, the smaller
ones are overtaken by larger ones
and droplet size is increased
through collision
CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
freezing nuclei because of
lower vapor pressures
• The ice crystal grow in size
through contact with other
particles, and collisions cause
snowflakes to form
• Snowflakes may change into
droplets after entering air in
which temperature is above
freezing
CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
 Rain Snow

Sleet Hail

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
 OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATION

CONVECTIONAL
PRECIPITATION
due to intense heating of
air at the ground, which
leads to expansion and
vertical rise in the air
due to mechanical
lifting of moist air
masses over the
windward side of the
mountain ranges

Windward Leeward
slope slope

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

CYCLONIC PRECIPITATION
AIR MASSES: Large bodies of air with fairly consistent temperature
Leading edge (front) of a warm air mass meets a cool air mass and humidity gradients in the horizontal direction at a given altitude

Warmer air mass is forced over the cool air. Source from
Latitude of
where they are
generation
generated
Warm air cools as it rises
Land
Polar
(continental)
Moisture in the air condenses

Water
Clouds and precipitation form Tropical
(maritime)

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle

FRONTAL FRONTAL
SYSTEMS: SYSTEMS:
COLD FRONT WARM FRONT

CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle CEP14: Formation of Precipitation | Engr. S. Valle
 Any
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