Moisture in the air is something that almost all of us are familiar with. We see its effects practically on a daily basis. Moisture or water in the atmosphere causes clouds to form, fog to cover the landscape, and humidity to thicken the air. It also causes rain, snow, hail and sleet to form. Indeed, water gas is one of the most important elements of our home planet’s atmosphere.

Water from the atmosphere can create dramatic short term and long term changes to the landscape around us. Events like super charged storms can dump buckets of water in a single location, creating floods. Over time, regular rain cycles cause erosion, literally changing the shape of the surface of the Earth.

The water gas found in the atmosphere is colorless, tasteless and odorless. Usually we are only aware of its presence in cases of extremes. When the air is extremely laden with water vapor it feels sticky. We say that the air is very humid. At times of extreme dryness, our lips crack, becoming chapped.