The Variations In Evaporation Due To Seasonal Changes

Evaporation Student’s Name Institution Date Introduction Some areas worldwide experience low evaporation rates annually due to the low water content of the soil. For example in the Sahara desert, the evaporation rates here are significantly low due to the dry conditions despite the high solar radiation experienced in this region. However, it is essential to note that in the Nile River with its constant available water, regions closer to this water source experience higher evaporation than the surrounding arid area (Shaw, Beven, Chappell, & Lamb, 2010). This paper will, therefore, provide an overview concerning evaporation. It will include the factors associated with evaporation especially in the tropic regions. It will also discuss the variations in evaporation due to seasonal changes. Evaporation process Evaporation involves the process where water is transformed into vapor on the land surface or that of a liquid. The surrounding gas is not usually saturated with the evaporating component. Once the liquid molecules collide, this leads to the transference of energy towards each other depending on the manner that they collide together (Robinson, & Ward, 2017). Once the molecule nearing the surface absorbs adequate energy to resist the vapor pressure, it then escapes and enters the environment as a gas. Once the evaporation process takes place, the energy is then removed from the vaporized substance which will have a significantly low temperature. This leads to evaporative cooling. On average, only a small fraction of the molecules inside the liquid have enough heat energy to escape from the liquid. The evaporation is a continuous process until equilibrium is gained. Equilibrium is determined once the evaporation of the liquid is equal to its condensation (Shaw, Beven, Chappell, & Lamb, 2010). Inside a restricted environment, the liquid evaporates into the atmosphere which is highly saturated. Factors that affect evaporation Temperature is one of the factors associated with evaporation. As the temperature of the air rises, its ability to contain the moisture will also increase. Any significant temperature increase leads towards an elevated water temperature at the evaporation source. This means that extra energy is available to the water molecules for easily escaping into the atmosphere (Shaw, Beven, Chappell, & Lamb, 2010). Therefore, the temperature of the evaporating surface is directly proportional to the evaporation process. The warmer the surface becomes, the higher the evaporation process rate occurs. Relative humidity is also associated with the evaporation rate. When the vapor pressure is high, the rate of evaporation lowers, especially in tropical regions. This is typical since evaporation is typically greater at the end of summer compared to the middle of the winter season. The speed of the wind also affects evaporation. When the winds are light, this leads to the formation of a thin layer of air which becomes almost saturated. This leads to low evaporation (De Jong, Collins, & Ranzi, 2005). Therefore, when the velocity of the wind is high especially during spring and summer, the turbulence is developed within the air. The moisture that evaporated from the surface is mixed upwards and the differe...