Do trees drink fog?

Started by Fuzzman, May 25, 2017, 03:07:19 PM

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DuffleKing

Quote from: omaghjoe on May 26, 2017, 06:24:55 AM
Quote from: J70 on May 25, 2017, 04:19:39 PM
I'd agree. Probably condensation on trees and simple dripping of water down onto ground underneath branches. Roads might be warmer than leaves as well, so any direct condensate evaporates off more quickly.

This is speculative and not thought through completely, could be absolutely wrong!

Think your nearly spot on.
The trees are colder than the ground because they are more exposed to air and have a larger surface area, so they are colder.
The colder a surface is the faster water will collect on it from condensation from moisture in the air, hence the trees will collect more dew.
The large surface area of all the leaves twigs and branches means there is a much larger area on which dew will collect, it will be exponentially more than the area of ground it covers.
The leaves waxy texture also will not absorb the water but force it to run off. 
The ground is also exposed to direct sunlight which will evaporate the water more quickly where as the tree shields most of the lower layers.

A tree has a larger surface areas than the ground?

J70

Quote from: DuffleKing on May 26, 2017, 04:37:33 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on May 26, 2017, 06:24:55 AM
Quote from: J70 on May 25, 2017, 04:19:39 PM
I'd agree. Probably condensation on trees and simple dripping of water down onto ground underneath branches. Roads might be warmer than leaves as well, so any direct condensate evaporates off more quickly.

This is speculative and not thought through completely, could be absolutely wrong!

Think your nearly spot on.
The trees are colder than the ground because they are more exposed to air and have a larger surface area, so they are colder.
The colder a surface is the faster water will collect on it from condensation from moisture in the air, hence the trees will collect more dew.
The large surface area of all the leaves twigs and branches means there is a much larger area on which dew will collect, it will be exponentially more than the area of ground it covers.
The leaves waxy texture also will not absorb the water but force it to run off. 
The ground is also exposed to direct sunlight which will evaporate the water more quickly where as the tree shields most of the lower layers.

A tree has a larger surface areas than the ground?

Per unit of the ground covered, absolutely.

A tree extends upwards and outwards in all directions. It also has a lot of thin components, which, by definition, have a larger relative surface area.

YOU have a much larger surface area than your footprints.

Your lungs have a way, way bigger surface area than your skin.

Owen Brannigan

Quote from: J70 on May 26, 2017, 08:05:50 PM

YOU have a much larger surface area than your footprints.

Your lungs have a way, way bigger surface area than your skin.

Estimates of the total surface area of lungs vary from 50 to 75 square metres (540 to 810 sq ft); roughly the same area as one side of a tennis court.

For the average adult human, the skin has a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square meters (16.1-21.5 sq ft.).

omaghjoe

Quote from: J70 on May 26, 2017, 08:05:50 PM
Quote from: DuffleKing on May 26, 2017, 04:37:33 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on May 26, 2017, 06:24:55 AM
Quote from: J70 on May 25, 2017, 04:19:39 PM
I'd agree. Probably condensation on trees and simple dripping of water down onto ground underneath branches. Roads might be warmer than leaves as well, so any direct condensate evaporates off more quickly.

This is speculative and not thought through completely, could be absolutely wrong!

Think your nearly spot on.
The trees are colder than the ground because they are more exposed to air and have a larger surface area, so they are colder.
The colder a surface is the faster water will collect on it from condensation from moisture in the air, hence the trees will collect more dew.
The large surface area of all the leaves twigs and branches means there is a much larger area on which dew will collect, it will be exponentially more than the area of ground it covers.
The leaves waxy texture also will not absorb the water but force it to run off. 
The ground is also exposed to direct sunlight which will evaporate the water more quickly where as the tree shields most of the lower layers.

A tree has a larger surface areas than the ground?

Per unit of the ground covered, absolutely.

A tree extends upwards and outwards in all directions. It also has a lot of thin components, which, by definition, have a larger relative surface area.

YOU have a much larger surface area than your footprints.

Your lungs have a way, way bigger surface area than your skin.

Precisely, the tree has a larger surface area in contact with the air than the ground does within its footprint onto which the condensed water is dropping.

Tho this has got me thinking a little bit is it actually the fog that is condensing on the tree? After all fog is very fine water droplets suspended in air which have actually already condensed.
I think  that the water come dew actually comes directly from the water vapour in the air, so the trees arent drinking the fog but the water vapour, tho could stand corrected on this