Re: Dew Formation

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

> When dew forms on clear nights, it will heavily wet lawns but will
> hardly ever leave visible moisture on concrete walkways or asphalt
> roads. There are many factors that regulate condensation:
> temperature, available condensation nucleii, curvature, hydrophilic
> surfaces, etc. - but I am having difficulty identifying the  primary
> one in this case. Any ideas out there?

The primary mechanism is radiation exchange with 2 pi steradians of a
3 kelvin blackbody plus high resistance thermal conduction pathways
to the ground and the (still) air.

--
John Mallinckrodt        mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm

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