Saturday, August 27, 2011

Another I-Love-Clouds Post

I love clouds.  Big ones, building up over the tropical South China Sea.  Lots of evaporation going on and then they move inland to dump on the mountains to the west of us.  Orographic uplift is the term used to describe what happens.  Cool air cannot hold as much water as hot air, so when the mountains force the clouds to go uphill, they cool and have to dump some of their load.  Rain.  Runoff.  Back to the ocean.  Complete the cycle.  Hydrology.

Cumulous being built by evaporation off the South China Sea

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