Daily News Analysis

Fog in North India

stylish_lining

Dense fog covered the better part of north India during the last days of December and the 1st couple of days of 2024.

What is fog?

A fog – It is a collection of small droplets of water produced when evaporated water has cooled down and condensed.It is nothing but a thick cloud, but very close to the earth’s surface.

  • Conditions for a thick fog
    • Lower temperatures
    • Abundant moisture near the surface
    • Higher humidity
    • The process by which it cools

Fog materialises whenever there is a temperature disparity between the ground and the air.

 

Fog

Mist




Meaning

A thick low lying cloud at surface level and composed of tiny dew drops in the air.

A cloud formed out of small droplets held over in atmosphere at ground level due to temperature inversion of humidity variation.

Density

Very high

Relatively low

Visibility

Lower, upto 1 km

Relatively higher, more than 1 km

Longevity

Longer period

Shorter time

 

What are the different types of fog?

  • Radiation Fog – It forms when all solar energy exits the earth and allows the temperature to meet up with the dew point and the best condition is when it had rained the previous night.
  • Precipitation Fog – It forms when rain is falling through cold air which is common with a warm fronts but it can occur with cold fronts as well only if it's not moving too fast.
  • Cold air, dry at the surface while rain is falling through it evaporates and causes the dew point to rise and this saturation forms fog.
  • Advection Fog – It forms from surface contact of horizontal winds and can occur with windy conditions.
  • When cool moisture on the ground comes in contact with the warm, moist winds, it cause the air blowing in to become cool and then dew point rises and creates high humidity and forms fog.

 

Steam Fog – It forms during the fall season on any lake due to the difference in rate of cooling and interactions between the upper cold air and relatively warmer lake.

  • Upslope Fog – It forms adiabatically, as moist winds blow toward a mountain, it up glides and this causes the air to rise and cool.
  • The cooling of the air from rising causes to meet up with the dew point temperature and so fog forms on top of the mountains.
  • Valley Fog – It forms in the valley when the soil is moist from previous rainfall.
  • As the skies clear solar energy exits earth and allow the temperature to cool near or at the dew point.

Valley fog is so dense that sometimes it is called as tule fog.

  • Freezing Fog – It occurs when the temperature falls at 32°F (0°C) or below, it produces drizzle and these tiny droplets freeze when they come into contact with an object.
  • Ice Fog – It is only seen in the polar and artic regions.
  • Temperatures at 14 F (-10°C) is too cold for the air to contain super-cooled water droplets so it forms small tiny ice crystals.

What is the situation of fogging in northern India?

  • During Indian winters, the fog is created when the temperature drops at night and in the early morning, condenses on aerosols present in the atmosphere.
  • Vulnerable regions – The entire Indo-Gangetic plains
  • Favourable conditions – It is due to presence of
    • Low temperatures
    • Low wind speed
    • Moisture availability
    • Plenty of aerosols
  • Moisture incursion – It can happen once a Western Disturbance, a precipational pattern that brings rain to north India during winter months moves across northern parts.
  • Sometimes, it can happen from the Arabian Sea also.
  • Effect of fogging – Fog disrupting the lives of people in North India with the condition of poor visibility.
  • It impacts air travel and land transportation
  • It also increases the pollution.

Recently, Delhi experienced an increase in pollution levels, with an AQI rating of “severe.”

Maharashtra Scraps Hindi as Compulsory Third Language

The Maharashtra government recently scrapped its Government Resolutions (GRs) that mandated Hindi as a compulsory third language from Grades 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. While the
Share It

River Pollution in India

The Delhi government's focus on cleaning up the Yamuna River is part of a larger national effort to rejuvenate the Ganga River and its tributaries, in alignment with the Namami Gange Programme
Share It

Infrastructure Failures

The recent collapse of the Mahisagar River Bridge in Vadodara, which tragically claimed the lives of 20 people, underscores the growing concern over India's infrastructure quality. Similar
Share It

Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

The Supreme Court (SC) is currently reviewing the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) process for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, suggesting that Aadhaar,
Share It

GM Crop

In ongoing trade talks, the United States is advocating for India to open its agriculture market to genetically modified (GM) crops. However, India has firmly rejected this proposal, citing concer
Share It

India-Brazil Relations

India and Brazil share a growing and dynamic bilateral relationship that has evolved across various sectors since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1948. Their Strategic Partnership, formali
Share It

Legislative Productivity

The Lok Sabha Speaker’s remarks about the need to enhance legislative productivity reflect growing concerns about the diminishing effectiveness of India’s legislative bodies. The chall
Share It

Economic Growth

India's rapid urbanization is set to dramatically shape its future. The transformation of its cities holds immense potential for economic growth, but it also brings significant challenges. As
Share It

Global South

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brazil from July 2-9, 2025, for the BRICS summit, was not only his longest international visit in 11 years but also marked a significant diplomatic outr
Share It

Maharashtra’s Special Public Security Bill, 2024

The Maharashtra Assembly has recently passed the Special Public Security Bill, 2024, aimed at combating “urban Maoism” and left-wing extremism in the state. The Bill criminalizes activ
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS