Grand Canyon Fog Is a Rare Weather Event

Don’t you just wish to be at the Grand Canyon right now and experience the rare weather event? The majestic canyon was filled with fog.

What caused the appearance of fog? The fog at the Grand Canyon appears to be radiation fog, which is caused by the ground releasing much of its heat back toward space. As this release occurs, the temperature at the surface cools dramatically, creating what meteorologists call a “temperature inversion,” meaning the air higher up is warmer than what’s at the ground.

As the air continues to cool, the ambient temperature creeps closer to the dew point, a measure of moisture in the atmosphere. When the air temperature and dew point are at the same value, saturation occurs. Basically, the air is at 100 percent relative humidity.

At saturation, water vapor can condense, changing from a gas to a liquid. The little drops that develop start to form a cloud close to the ground and fog is born.

Loading...

Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.