Marine Fog: A Review on Microphysics and Visibility Prediction

Abstract

Marine fog occurs commonly over the world due to the various physical, chemical, dynamical, and radiative processes active at various time and space scales. These processes are affected by local topographical conditions such as surface height and irregularities, slope, and ocean-land boundaries and sea surface conditions as well as atmospheric physical conditions such as pollution as a source of cloud condensation nuclei, cooling rates, and moisture and heat fluxes. Marine fog is usually the result of the advection of warm air masses over cold surfaces or vice versa. Marine fog impacts transportation and shipping, aviation, and the Earth ecosystem because of reduced visibilities and increased moisture availability. Recent studies suggest that the occurrence of fog is decreasing in many part of the world over the lands but not over the ocean. Its prediction using numerical weather prediction (NWP) models includes large uncertainties on small space scales over the short time periods. In this review, first, fog observations are summarized, and second microphysics of fog and visibility were described. Fog prediction issues related to NWP model uncertainties and observational issues are then provided. In the end, future challenges related to marine fog observations and NWP model based prediction, as well as fog and climate change issues are summarized.