Evaporation

Evaporation is the transfer of liquid water into water vapor at a surface. It occurs below the boiling point when water molecules gain enough energy to escape the liquid.

Vapor pressure: The pressure exerted by a vapor in equilibrium with its liquid or solid phase. Evaporation proceeds as water vapor moves from the surface toward the surrounding air.
Evapotranspiration: The combined transfer of water to the atmosphere by evaporation and plant transpiration. It extends evaporation from bare surfaces to the water cycle over vegetated land.
Hydrologic cycle: The continuous movement of water among the atmosphere, land, oceans, and living things. Evaporation moves surface water into the atmospheric part of the cycle.
Lake evaporation: The loss of water from a lake surface to the atmosphere as vapor. Large open-water surfaces make evaporation a major component of lake water budgets.
Latent heat of vaporization: The energy required to convert a unit mass of liquid into vapor without changing its temperature. Escaping water molecules carry energy away, cooling the remaining surface.
Potential evapotranspiration: An estimate of atmospheric demand for water from a well-watered surface. It helps estimate how much water could evaporate when soil moisture is not limiting.
Condensation: The change of water vapor into liquid water when vapor molecules lose energy. It reverses evaporation and forms cloud droplets, dew, and fog.
Soil evaporation: The transfer of water vapor from soil pores and the soil surface into the atmosphere. Soil texture and moisture determine how much water can reach an evaporating surface.
Relative humidity: The ratio of the air's water-vapor content to the maximum it can hold at the same temperature. Drier air can accept more vapor from an evaporating water surface.
Pan evaporation: The measured water loss from an exposed pan used to estimate atmospheric evaporative demand. Pan measurements provide a practical indicator of evaporation under local weather conditions.

Linked from 103 pages