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Where would you expect to find the lowest concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere?

ATropical rainforests

BEquatorial regions

CLow-altitude coastal areas

DCold deserts and polar regions

Answer:

D. Cold deserts and polar regions

Read Explanation:

Atmospheric Water Vapor Distribution

  • Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is a crucial component of the Earth's atmosphere, influencing weather and climate.

  • Its concentration varies significantly based on temperature and geographical location.

Factors Affecting Water Vapor Concentration

  • Temperature: Warmer air can hold more moisture than colder air. This is because higher temperatures increase the rate of evaporation and the capacity of air to contain water vapor.

  • Proximity to Water Bodies: Areas near oceans, seas, and large lakes tend to have higher humidity due to continuous evaporation.

  • Altitude: Water vapor concentration generally decreases with increasing altitude.

  • Geographical Location: Different climate zones have distinct patterns of water vapor content.

Regions with Lowest Water Vapor Concentration

  • Cold Deserts: These regions, characterized by extremely low temperatures and arid conditions (e.g., Gobi Desert, Antarctica), have very little moisture available for evaporation. The cold air itself also has a low capacity to hold water vapor.

  • Polar Regions: Similar to cold deserts, polar areas (e.g., Arctic, Antarctic ice sheets) experience frigid temperatures. The availability of liquid water for evaporation is minimal, and the extremely cold air can hold very little water vapor. Even though ice and snow are present, the rate of sublimation (solid to gas) is low in these dry and cold environments.

Comparison with Other Regions

  • Tropical Rainforests: These areas have the highest concentration of water vapor due to high temperatures and abundant surface water, leading to significant evaporation and transpiration from vegetation.

  • Temperate Zones: These regions show moderate levels of water vapor, influenced by seasons and proximity to moisture sources.


Related Questions:

Which of the following statements are correct?

  1. Ozone layer lies between 10 and 50 km altitude.

  2. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

  3. The mesosphere contains the highest concentration of ozone.

Air moves from high pressure regions to low pressure regions. Such air movement is called :
അന്തരീക്ഷത്തിലെ താഴ്ന്ന വിതാനങ്ങളിൽ ചാര നിറത്തിലോ കറുപ്പു നിറത്തിലോ കാണുന്ന മഴമേഘങ്ങളെ പറയുന്ന പേരെന്ത് ?
സൂര്യരശ്‌മികളുടെ തീവ്രത ഏറ്റവുമധികം അനുഭവപ്പെടുന്നത് :

താഴെപ്പറയുന്ന പ്രസ്താവനകളുടെ അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ മേഘമേതെന്ന് തിരിച്ചറിയുക :

  • 8000 മീറ്റർ മുതൽ 12000 മീറ്റർവരെ ഉയരത്തിൽ രൂപപ്പെടുന്നു. 

  • നേർത്ത തൂവലുകൾക്ക് സമാനമായി കാണപ്പെടുന്ന മേഘങ്ങളാണിത്. 

  • എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും ഇവയ്ക്ക് വെളുപ്പു നിറമായിരിക്കും.