Unveiling The Mystery: 10 Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Fog

Jul 1, 2025 Nayra Jain

Fog Is A Ground-level Cloud

Fog forms when water vapour condenses into tiny droplets near the Earth’s surface, making it a type of low-lying cloud. Unlike other clouds, fog occurs right at ground level, often reducing visibility significantly. Image Source: Meta-AI

Different Types Of Fog Exist

Not all fog is the same. There are radiation fog, advection fog, valley fog, and freezing fog, each forming under specific conditions related to temperature, humidity, and terrain. Image Source: Meta-AI

Fog Can Be Dense Or Light

Fog is classified based on visibility. Light fog allows visibility of more than 1 kilometre, while dense fog reduces visibility to less than 200 metres, often causing disruptions in air and road travel. Image Source: Meta-AI

Foggiest Place On Earth

Grand Banks off Newfoundland is one of the foggiest places on Earth. The mix of cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream creates perfect conditions for persistent, thick fog. Image Source: Meta-AI

Fog Helps Moisture-loving Plants

In regions like coastal California or the Western Ghats, fog provides essential moisture to ecosystems where rain is scarce. Some plants have evolved to absorb water directly from fog droplets. Image Source: Meta-AI

Radiation Fog Forms Overnight

Radiation fog occurs on clear nights when the Earth’s surface cools rapidly, causing the air above it to reach dew point and condense into fog. It usually forms late at night or early morning. Image Source: Meta-AI

Fog Can Impact Air Travel

Thick fog can delay or divert flights due to low runway visibility. Airports use advanced instrument landing systems to help pilots navigate in foggy conditions safely. Image Source: Meta-AI

Industrial Areas Can Worsen Fog

Air pollution can enhance fog formation. Tiny pollutant particles in the air act as condensation nuclei, helping water vapour condense more easily and creating smog-like conditions. Image Source: Meta-AI

Fog Can Also Be Freezing

Freezing fog forms when supercooled water droplets remain liquid below 0°C and freeze on contact with surfaces. It can create dangerous icy layers on roads and trees. Image Source: Meta-AI

Fog Horns Help Navigation

In low-visibility conditions, fog horns on ships or coastlines emit sound signals to warn other vessels of proximity. These are vital in avoiding collisions in dense maritime fog. Image Source: Meta-AI

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