Okuzeka
Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Weather & Climate

Humidity

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/hjuːˈmɪdəti/nounCommon term

In geology & earth sciences, humidity means: The amount of water vapour in the air, usually given as relative humidity: the percentage of the maximum amount the air can hold at that temperature.

In Turkish: nem, bağıl nem

How it is used

Used in weather reports and meteorology: high humidity, low humidity, a relative humidity of 80%. It is measured with a hygrometer. Warm air can hold more water vapour than cold air, so humidity is closely linked to temperature, cloud and dew.

Example sentences

  1. Humidity on the Black Sea coast is high for most of the year.

  2. Relative humidity drops in the afternoon as the air warms up.

Common collocations

  • relative humidity
  • high humidity
  • humidity levels
  • absolute humidity
  • weatherThe state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, such as temperature, wind, cloud, humidity and precipitation over hours or days.
  • evaporationThe process in which liquid water turns into water vapour and rises into the air, mainly from oceans, lakes, rivers and wet soil, driven by the Sun's heat.
  • precipitationWater that falls from clouds to the ground as rain, snow, sleet or hail. It is usually measured in millimetres per day, month or year.
  • atmospheric pressureThe pressure caused by the weight of the air above a surface. At sea level it averages about 1013 hectopascals, and it falls as you go higher.

More terms: Weather & Climate

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: