Meteorology · Fog — Sea Smoke
Arctic sea smoke (steam fog) occurs when:
- AWarm rain falls into cold air
- BWarm air flows over a cold sea
- CVery cold air moves over much warmer water, and moisture evaporating into the cold air immediately recondenses✓ Correct
- DA warm front lifts moist air
Explanation
Steam fog (sea smoke) forms when cold air overlies much warmer water: water evaporates into the cold air, quickly saturating it so vapor recondenses, giving the appearance of the sea steaming. Common in high latitudes and over open leads in ice.
Authority: Bowditch (Pub. No. 9), steam fog; WMO
Practice the full Meteorology bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Meteorology questions
- Atmosphere & Pressure
Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately:
- Atmosphere & Pressure
One millibar (mb) is equal to:
- Atmosphere & Pressure
A barometer that is falling rapidly most likely indicates:
- Atmosphere & Pressure
On a surface weather chart, isobars spaced very close together indicate:
- Wind
By convention, a wind is named for:
- Wind
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect deflects moving air: