How can advection fog be dispersed?

How can advection fog be dispersed?

• A. Lower humidity
• B. Change in air mass or strong wind to lift fog into a cloud
• C. Strong wind
• D. Change in air mass or strong wind that will lift the fog to become a stratus cloud

Answer: (D)

Advection fog disperses when the moist air feeding the fog is modified so it can rise above the surface or mix with drier air, breaking the near-surface saturation that keeps the fog hugging the ground. The most effective route is a change in air mass or a strong wind that lifts the fog into a higher layer, forming a stratiform (stratus) cloud. When the fog is lifted into a stratus cloud, the moisture is held aloft and the surface layer dries, so surface visibility improves as the fog dissipates. Lowering humidity at the surface helps, but alone it may not guarantee dispersal; strong wind can help, but the key outcome is lifting the fog into a higher cloud layer, which is what disperses the fog most reliably.

Advection fog disperses when the moist air feeding the fog is modified so it can rise above the surface or mix with drier air, breaking the near-surface saturation that keeps the fog hugging the ground. The most effective route is a change in air mass or a strong wind that lifts the fog into a higher layer, forming a stratiform (stratus) cloud. When the fog is lifted into a stratus cloud, the moisture is held aloft and the surface layer dries, so surface visibility improves as the fog dissipates. Lowering humidity at the surface helps, but alone it may not guarantee dispersal; strong wind can help, but the key outcome is lifting the fog into a higher cloud layer, which is what disperses the fog most reliably.