On a cloudy night reduced radiational cooling of ground can decrease the chance of which process?

Correct answer: Dew formation

Correct answer: D, dew formation. During a clear night, the ground can lose heat by emitting long-wave radiation to the atmosphere and space. The surface then cools, and the air touching it may cool to its dew point. If the surface temperature reaches the dew point, water vapour condenses into small liquid droplets called dew. Clouds absorb and re-emit outgoing terrestrial radiation, so they act as a blanket and reduce the net radiational loss from the ground. The ground therefore remains relatively warmer and is less likely to cool to the dew point, reducing the chance of dew formation. A is not the best answer because daytime heating is mainly related to incoming solar radiation and the question concerns night-time cooling. B is a large-scale ocean-water movement and is not the direct process affected here. C may vary with temperature, but the specific surface-condensation process described is dew. D is correct. Memory cue: clear nights favour dew; cloudy nights usually reduce surface cooling and dew.