What are clouds really?

Question

It's commonly accepted that clouds are tiny droplets of moisture that small air currents swirl and bump around, getting denser and denser until clouds form. Once the air currents are insufficiently powerful enough to hold the larger droplets aloft anymore, they fall to the ground as rain (assuming they don't evaporate before they reach the ground).

1) Does that really make sense? That trillions of gallons/billions of pounds of water are simply held aloft by air?

2) Why doesn't fog freeze? It can be in the 20s (F) and yet there can be fog. Not ice pellets in the air - liquid water.

Answer 1

do you want the kids version or the adult

kids: coton balls

adult: gases like steam and when that gas gets to heavy it falls down as rain

go to wikipedia.org and search the water cycle

Answer 2

Clouds are simply moisture in air that has reached its dew point.  Dew point is defined as the temperature at which the moisture in a volume of air becomes visible.  In a dessert the relative humidity (amount of water suspended in the air) is pretty low.  In swamps the relative humidity is pretty high.  Humidity is the percentage of moisture in a volume of air relative to how much moisture it can hold.  It varies with temperature.

The air displaying its moisture above you is no different than the air around you.  The only difference is the temperature of the air.  The Sun does not heat the air, the Sun heats the earth's surface and the earth warms the air.  So the air aloft is cooler than the air at the surface.  So as amazing as it may seem, the only difference between the air you are standing in  with no cloud and the air above you with a cloud is the temperature of the air.  You have just as much moisture in your air but you cannot see it.  If you could lower the temperature of your surrounding air it, too would form a cloud.  (that is why you will often see whisps of cloud around a block of ice in the Summer)  

It does make sense.  You must also consider that air has weight, too, but the weight remains pretty constant.  Why? Air density.  Cool air more dense, warm air less dense.  Cool air may weight the same but it is mostly air.  Warm air may weigh the same but it is also holding water.  See?

We do not really measure air by weight.  We measure it by density.  Cool air is denser (more air less water) warm air is less dense (capable of holding more water).

What makes you think fog does not freeze?  It has to be pretty cold but fog certainly does freeze in the Arctic.  The reason is the temperature has to be much colder than the freezing point of water is that the moisture in the air is near the molecular level (not liquid water but water vapor) and as it moves around it rubs against air and other moisture molecules creating friction and heat. It is the same as what keeps circulating water from freezing.   But if it is cold enough even that won't stop it from freezing.  Heck, you can freeze air if it is cold enough.  Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide.  

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Answer 3

No.1 Yes. At any given time, there is approximately 300 square miles of water in the atmosphere in the form of gas, vapor, ice, or liquid.

No. 2 Fog has to follow law physics like every thing else. If you see fog and the temperature is 20 degrees, then the fog is very tiny ice crystals that form 'frozen' fog. Remember that high altitude clouds (stratus) are frozen 'fog' clouds too. If you fly a plane through them, the wings will start to ice up. That's why most commercial planes have deicers inside the wings. They can and do collect ice from 'fog' on the ground in freezing weather.

Answer 4

Clouds actually is a gas of air but when evaporation occurs it will  carry water particles. Fog is also a cloud that is normally cold because like of the mountain summit with fog.

Answer 5

Fairy floss...duh! :)