Dr

.Md.SabbirMost
afaKhan
mostaf
akhan@wre.
buet
.ac.
bd
Lect
ureNot
e–2

Pr
eci
pit
ati
on(
Backgr
ound)

Wat
erVapor

Atmospheri
c watermost l
yexist
s as a gas,orvapor,butbrief
lyand l
ocal
l
yit
becomesal i
quidinrai
nfal
landinwaterdropl
etsi
nclouds,ori
tbecomesasoli
din
snowfal
l
,inhail
,ori
nicecryst
alsi
nclouds.

Speci
fi
chumi
dit
y(qv)

Speci
fi
chumidit
yisdefinedasthemassofwat erv
aporperunitmassofmoi
stair
.
Asmassperuni tvol
umeequalsdensit
y,t
heref
orespecif
ichumidi
tyi
sal
sodef
ined
astherat
ioofdensi
tyofwaterv
aportodensi
tyofmoistai
r.

Mat
hemat
ical
l
y,

Wher
e,
ρv=Densi
tyofwat
ervapor
ρa=Densi
tyofmoi
stair

Vaporpr
essur
e

Vaporpr
essur
eist
hepar
ti
alpr
essur
eofwat
erv
apori
ntheat
mospher
e.

Mat
hemat
ical
l
y,

Wher
e,
e=Vaporpressureofwat ervapor(
pascal
)
ρv=Densi
tyofwat ervapor(kg/m3)
o
Rv=Gasconst antforwatervapor(
J/Kg-K)
o
T=Absolutetemper at
ure( K)

Sat
urat
ionv
aporpr
essur
e(es)

Foragivenairt
emper
atur
e,therei
samaximum moi
stur
econt enttheai
rcanhol
d;
thecor
respondi
ngv
aporpressur
eiscal
l
edt
hesat
urat
ionvaporpressur
e.

Mat
hemat
ical
l
y, [
Raudki
vi
,1979]

Where,
es=Sat
urat
ionvaporpressure(pascal
)
o
T=Givenai
rtemperature( C)

1
 Dr
.Md.SabbirMost
afaKhan
mostaf
akhan@wre.
buet
.ac.
bd
Rel
ati
vehumi
dit
y(Rh)

I
tisthe r
ati
o ofact
ualv
aporpr
essur
etoi
ts sat
urat
ion v
alue ata gi
ven ai
r
t
emper
atur
e.

Mat
hemat
ical
l
y,

Dew-
poi
ntt
emper
atur
e(Td)

Thetemper
atur
eatwhichai
rwouldjustbecomesat
urat
edatagi
venspeci
fi
c
humi
dit
yisi
tsdew-
poi
ntt
emper
atur
e.

Pr
eci
pit
ati
on
Pr
eci
pit
ati
ondenot
esal
lfor
msofwat
ert
hatr
eacht
heear
thf
rom t
heat
mospher
e.
For
mat
ionofpr
eci
pit
ati
on
Li
ft
ingofai
rmassi
ntheat
mospher
esot
hati
tcool
sandsomeofi
tsmoi
stur
e
condenses.Ther
ear
ethr
eemai
nmechani
smsofai
rmassl
i
fti
ng:
A.Fr
ont
all
i
fti
ng:Li
ft
ingofwar
m ai
rononesi
deofaf
ront
alsur
faceov
er
col
der
,denserai
ront
heot
hersi
de.
B.Or
ogr
aphi
cli
ft
ing:
Airmassr
isest
opassov
eramount
ainr
ange.
C.Conv
ect
ivel
i
fti
ng:Ri
sing of war
mer
,li
ght
er ai
rin col
der
,denser
sur
roundi
ngs.
Condensat
ionr
equi
resaseedcal
l
edcondensat
ionnucl
eionwhi
cht
hedr
opl
ets
f
orm.Condensat
ion nucl
ei(
0.1t
o 10 m)usual
l
y consi
stofpr
oduct
s of
combust
ion,
oxi
desofni
tr
ogenandsal
tpar
ti
cles.
Thet
inydr
opl
etsgr
owbycondensat
ionandi
mpactwi
tht
hei
rnei
ghbor
sast
heyar
e
car
ri
edbyt
urbul
entai
rmot
ion,
unt
ilt
heybecomel
argeenoughsot
hatt
hef
orceof
gr
avi
tyov
ercomest
hatoff
ri
cti
on.
Ast
heybegi
ntof
all
,fur
theri
ncr
easei
nsi
zeoccur
sast
hehi
tot
herdr
opl
etsi
nthe
f
all
pat
h.
Howev
er,ast
hedr
opf
all
s,wat
erev
apor
atesf
rom i
tssur
faceandt
hedr
opsi
ze
di
mini
shes,sot
hedr
opmayber
educedt
othesi
zeofanaer
osolandbecar
ri
ed
upwar
dsi
nthecl
oudt
hrought
urbul
entact
ion.
*Aer
osol
:Remai
nsai
rbor
nei
ndef
ini
tel
yexceptf
orpr
eci
pit
ati
on.(
size<3m)
.
Thecy
cleofcondensat
ion,
fal
l
ing,
evapor
ati
on,
andr
isi
ngoccur
sonav
erageabout
10t
imesbef
oret
hedr
opr
eachesacr
it
icalsi
zeofabout0.
1mm,whi
chi
slar
ge

2
 Dr
.Md.SabbirMost
afaKhan
mostaf
akhan@wre.
buet
.ac.
bd
enought
ofal
lthr
ought
hebot
tom oft
hecl
oud.

Upt
o1mm i
ndi
amet
er,t
hedr
opl
etsr
emai
nspher
icali
nshape,butbey
ondt
his
si
zet
heybegi
ntof
lat
tenoutont
hebot
tom unt
ilt
heyar
enol
ongerst
abl
efal
l
ing
t
hrought
heai
randbr
eakupi
ntosmal
lrai
ndr
opsanddr
opl
ets.Nor
malr
aindr
ops
f
all
i
ngt
hrought
hecl
oudbasear
e0.
1to3mm i
ndi
amet
er.
Cl
oudseedi
ng
I
tisapr
ocessofar
ti
fi
cial
l
ynucl
eat
ingcl
oudst
oinducepr
eci
pit
ati
on.Si
l
veri
odi
de
i
sacommonnucl
eat
ingagentandi
sspr
eadf
rom ai
rcr
afti
nwhi
chasi
l
veri
odi
de
sol
uti
oni
sev
apor
atedwi
thapr
opanef
lamet
opr
oducepar
ti
cles.

For
msofPr
eci
pit
ati
on
Rai
n:Consi
stsofl
i
qui
dwat
erdr
opsmost
lyl
argert
han0.
5mm i
ndi
amet
er.Ont
he
basi
sofi
ntensi
ty,
rai
nfal
li
scl
assi
fi
edas,
Li
ght
:Tr
acet
o2.
5mm/
h
Moder
ate:
>2.
5mm/
hto7.
6mm/
h
Heav
y:>7.
6mm/
h

Snow:
Snowconsi
stsofi
cecr
yst
als.Theav
eragedensi
tyi
s0. cm3.
1gm/

Dr
izzl
e:(
Somet
imescal
l
edmi
st)consi
stsoft
inyl
i
qui
dwat
erdr
opl
ets,
usual
l
ywi
th
di
amet
ersbet
ween0.
1and0.
5mm.Dr
izzl
eusual
l
yfal
l
sfr
om l
ow st
rat
usand
r
arel
yexceeds1mm/
hr.

Gl
aze:Whenr
ainordr
izzl
ecomesi
ncont
actwi
thcol
dgr ound0oC,t
oundatar he
wat
erdr
opsf
reezet
ofor
m ani
cecoat
ingcal
l
edgl
aze.Sp.gr
.maybeashi
ghas
0.
8to0.
9.

Sl
eet
:whenr
ainf
all
sthr
oughai
ratsub-
fr
eezi
ngt
emper
atur
e,t
hef
rozenr
aindr
ops
ar
ecal
l
edsheet
.

Ri
me:For
medbyr
api
dfr
eezi
ngofsuper
-cool
edwat
erdr
opsi
mpi
ngi
ngonexposed

3
 Dr
.Md.SabbirMost
afaKhan
mostaf
akhan@wre.
buet
.ac.
bd
obj
ect
s.Sp.gr
.maybeasl
owas0.
2to0.
3.

Hai
l
:Iti
sashower
ypr
eci
pit
ati
oni
nthef
orm ofi
rr
egul
arpel
l
etsorl
umpsofi
ceof
si
zemor
ethan8mm.