Q)Define Fog?Classify fog & explain their formation.

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The obsecurity by the surface layers of the atmosphere owing to the prescence of water
droplets formed by condensation,amplified by suspended particles of smofe & dust which
occur.
Fogs are classified as follows:-
a)Advection Fog:- Afog formed when a relatively warm,moist & stable air mass moves
laterally over a cooler surface thereby reducing the temperature of the lower layer of the
air mass causing inversion of temperature untill it reaches the dew point when
condensation takes place.This may occur when warm maritime air moves over the cold
landmass or when warm continental air amss moves of-shore acoss a cold ocean
current.Eg.-Gulf stream meeting air above cold labraor curent near the grand banks of new
foundland.
It sometimes develops over a frozen,snow covered land mass in
conjugation with radiation fog.If the air flow is too vigorous & beyond 8m/sec. in velocity
then the fog will rise to form low altitude stratus cloud with a base of 100 m or so.
1)Steam Fog:- A tyoe of advection fog,when cold air passes over a body of fresh
water,temperatur of which is considerably higher.Because the moisture condenses to
form visible water droplets in the air the surface of the fresh water body appears to steam.
2)Arctic sea smoke / Arctic smoke:- A type of advection fog formed in high altitudes when
cold air passes over a warmer water surface.The vapour pressure at the water surface
exceeds the saturation vapour pressure at the particular air temperatuer,so that
evaporation from the water surface proceeds at a greater rate than can be accomodated by
the air at saturation point.The exces water vapour condenses & is caried continuously
upwards evaporate in the drier air above so that the water surface appears to 'smoke'.
b)Frontal Fog:- A term given to short lived period of moist & drizzle associated with the
passage of a warm front in a depression.It forms when the cooler layers of the air in
contact with the ground surface become saturated by the evaporting warmer rain droplets
which fall from the advancing front.
c)Smog:- Literally it means a contraction of 'smoke-fog' in it's original usage but in USA &
elsewhere the term has become synonymous with 'Photochemical fog'.
The original use of the term from 1905 was intended to describe thick 'Radiation Fog'
blanketing the urban &/or Industrial area under certain weather
conditions.Thus,smoke,soot & other aerosols,together with gasses llike sulphur-di-oxide
& carbon mono-oxide etc. were unable to escape from below the lid of temperature
inversion,thereby giving a sickly yellow colour & acrid odour to smog.Smogs were
common place in most industrial cities untill the smoke-abatement laws of mid-20th
century led to cleaner air but not before it has caused several disasters.Eg.-The London
smog in 1952 led to some 4000 deaths due to bronchial disorders.
d)Radiation Fog:- it is a shallow layer of fog formd near the ground surface due to
terresterial radiation.Loss of heat by the surface cools the air in contact with it,especially
during weather with little turbulent mixing & clear skies & the dew point is soon reached
whereupon condensation occurs.Since,the cold air flows downhill due to graviatational
pull there is a tendency for the radiation fog to develop in hollows & in valleys.
In summer,the fog will disperse due to vapourization of water roplets near the
ground after the sunrise.But in Autumn & in winter it may be trapped beneath an inversion
of temperature.In industrial regions a radiation fog may develop into a smog under these
conditions.
e)Photochemical Fog:- It's the state of poor visibility caused by chemical reaction of
sunlight & hydrocarbons in the atmosphere.Water droplets are not present.It's ahaze
produced when hydrocarbons & nitric oxides present in car exhausts.This type of fog is
dengerous to human health if it reaches critical concentration levels.Eg.-Los Angeles,USA
commonly suffers from this type of fog problem due to temperature inversion in it's
mountaneous Girt basin couples with large scale emmissions of nitrogen-di-oxide & ozone
by vehicles during day hours.
f)Ice Fog:- It's a surface fog associated with ice sheets & ice shelves where the lowest
layers of the atmosphere are cooled by the ice surface sufuciently for minute ice crystals
to form in air .Here,they will remain till calm conditions prevail.When sunlight shines
through this 'veil' of ice crystals it produces a dazzling light conducive to snow
blindness.Owing to the refrigeration of sun rays it produes optical phenomenon like
haloes.
g)Ground Fog:- It is also known as ground mist.It is caused by terresrial radiation & is
confined to low areas or valley floors.When the ground surface cools rapidly at night by
excessive terrestrial radiation loss,it lowers the temperature of the lowest air layers,which
then become denser & flow into tropographic hollows owing to gravity.Here,condensation
occurs as air is cooled below it's dew-point.It may be only a few metres in thickness,so
that tall buildings or trees may be obtrude from the upper surface of the fog.
Fogs can be serious hindrance to the smooth movement of traffic,it hinderslanding &
take-of of aircraft,they might result in respiratory problems if it lingers long (like:-
Photochemical Fog),they are harmful to rops,orchards etc.Several protective measures
like dry ice seeding technique(in case of cold fogs) or by addition of heat/turbulence to
accentuate the evaporation process of fogs(for warm fogs).Eg.-The scheme taken at Paris
Aairport called 'Turboclair' to keep runway free from fogs old jet engines sited along main
runway.