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Chapter-15 Ln- Humidity
Short Answer Questions
Question 1
What determines the amount of water vapour in the air?
Answer
The amount of water vapour in the air is determined by temperature. The hotter the air, the
more the water vapour present in it. When the atmospheric temperature is low, water vapour
is less.
Question 2
How is relative humidity determined?
Answer
Relative humidity is expressed as the ratio between the absolute humidity of a given mass of
air and the maximum amount of water vapour that it can hold at the same temperature.
Question 4
Mention the different forms of precipitation.
Answer
The different forms of precipitation are-
1. Rain
2. Snow
3. Hail
Question 6
State the three types of rainfall.
Answer
The three types of rainfall are-
1. Convectional rainfall
2. Orographic rainfall
3. Cyclonic rainfall
Question 7
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What is cyclonic rainfall?
Answer
Cyclonic rainfall occurs due to cyclones and depressions irrespective of relief or convection.
It is caused by convergence of two different air masses with different temperatures and other
physical properties. When warm and cold air masses confront each other, the warmer air
generally climbs above the colder air. The boundary zones of these air masses are called the
fronts.
The rising air is cooled while undergoing a frontal lift. This causes precipitation. Such
precipitation is called cyclonic rainfall.
Explain the following terms
Precipitation-The process by which the droplets fall to ground in liquid, solid or frozen form
is known as precipitation.
Evaporation-The process by which water vapour enters the atmosphere on heating is known
as evaporation.
Condensation-The process by which water vapour forms water droplets on cooling is known
as condensation.
Humidity-The amount of water vapour present in air is known as humidity.
Structured Questions
Question 1(a)
What is 'humidity'? How is humidity measured?
Answer The amount of water vapour present in air is known as humidity.
Humidity of the atmosphere is measured with the help of a hygrometer.
Question 1(b)Distinguish between Absolute Humidity and Relative Humidity.
Answer
Absolute Humidity Relative Humidity
It is the measure of the actual
It measures water vapour in air but relative to maximum
amount of water vapour in the air,
vapour that the air can hold at that temperature.
regardless of temperature.
It is expressed as grams of moisture It is expressed as the ratio between the absolute humidity of a
per cubic meter of air. given mass of air and the maximum amount of water vapour
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Absolute Humidity Relative Humidity
that it can hold at the same temperature.
The higher the amount of water Warm air possesses more water vapour than cold air, so with
vapour, the higher is the absolute the same amount of absolute humidity, air will have a
humidity. different relative humidity depending on temperature.
In weather calculations, absolute
It is the essential characteristic of weather forecasts, which
humidity is generally not taken into
indicates the likelihood of precipitation, dew or fog.
account.
Question 1(c) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) The total volume of water in the oceans and seas remains constant.
(ii) In Equatorial regions the sky often remains overcast with clouds.
(iii) Human comfort depends on humidity.
Answer
(i) The total volume of water in the oceans and seas remains constant because all the water
that evaporates from the earth's water bodies is eventually returned to it directly by the
process of condensation and precipitation, and indirectly by stream and overflow from land
surfaces.
(ii) In Equatorial regions the sky often remains overcast with clouds due to excessive heat.
The high temperature leads to the rapid heating of air. Such heated air rises in convectional
currents, leading to development of clouds at about 10 km height.
(iii) Human comfort depends on humidity because highly humid air is more oppressive. The
human body dissipates heat through perspiration and its evaporation. Under conditions of
high relative humidity, the rate of evaporation of sweat from the skin decreases and the
human being feels warm and uncomfortable.
Question 1(d) Draw a well labelled diagram showing orographic rainfall.
:
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Question 2(c)
Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(ii) Coasts receive more rainfall than the interior of the continents.
(iii) The windward sides of mountains receive more rainfall than the leeward sides.
Answer
(ii) Coasts receive more rainfall than the interior of the continents because the humidity in the
clouds is high when they are at the coast. When they reach the interior of the continents, they
have already shed water in the form of rain, and so, they do not have much humidity left to
cause rainfall.
(iii) The windward sides of mountains receive more rainfall than the leeward sides because
the sudden ascent of warm moist air on the windward sides causes cooling of air, leading to
condensation and precipitation.
On the contrary, on descending the leeward slope, a decrease in altitude increases both the
pressure and the temperature, leading the air to get compressed and warm. Consequently, the
relative humidity drops and there is evaporation and little or no precipitation in the rain
shadow area.
Question 2(d)
Draw a well labelled diagram showing convectional rainfall.
Answer
Below labelled diagram shows convectional rainfall:
Question 3(b) Describe briefly the orographic and convectional rainfall.
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Answer Orographic rainfall — It occurs from the cooling of warm moist air which ascends
above the mountain barrier lying in the direction of the prevailing winds. The presence of
mountains causes humid air to rise. The sudden ascent causes cooling of air, leading to
condensation and precipitation.
Convectional rainfall — This type of rainfall is common in equatorial regions. The high
temperature leads to the rapid heating of air. Such heated air rises in convectional currents,
leading to development of clouds at about 10 km height. Ascending currents of hot and
humid air causes condensation of the clouds, resulting in heavy rainfall.
Question 3(c) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) A rain shadow area is generally dry.
(ii) Frontal rain is common in mid-latitudes.
(iii) Convectional rainfall is called 4 o'clock rainfall.
Answer
(i) The sudden ascent of warm moist air on the windward sides causes cooling of air, leading
to condensation and precipitation.
On the contrary, on descending the leeward slope, a decrease in altitude increases both the
pressure and the temperature, leading the air to get compressed and warm. Consequently, the
relative humidity drops and there is evaporation and little or no precipitation in the rain
shadow area. Hence, a rain shadow area is generally dry.
(ii) Frontal rain is common in mid-latitudes due to the meeting of the sub-tropical and polar
air masses. It is caused by convergence of two different air masses with different
temperatures and other physical properties. When warm and cold air masses confront each
other, the warmer air generally climbs above the colder air. The rising air is cooled while
undergoing a frontal lift. This causes precipitation. Such precipitation is called cyclonic
rainfall.
(iii) Convectional rainfall is called 4 o'clock rainfall because this type of rainfall occurs in the
afternoon at about 4 o'clock.
Question 3(d) Define precipitation. Explain briefly the three forms of precipitation.
Answer The process by which products of condensation, water droplets, ice crystals, sleet,
etc., fall to ground is known as precipitation.
The three forms of precipitation are-
1. Rain — It is the most common form of precipitation. Raindrops of smaller size and
less intensity are known as drizzle.
2. Snow — Water droplets which rise higher and freeze on account of drop in
temperature is called snow. Snowfall usually occurs in winters in cold climates or on
high mountains.
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3. Hail — Sometimes, vertical air currents may push water droplets or ice particles
higher. They form into solid ice and fall as hail. Hailstones cause great damage to
crops
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