Fog

weather · water · atmosphere

Fog is a cloud. Fog is basically a cloud that formed right at ground level instead of high up in the sky. It's made of countless teeny-tiny water droplets hanging in the air.

Made of water droplets. Each fog droplet is so small you can't see individual ones, but billions of them together make the air misty and hard to see through. These droplets are held up by air currents instead of falling as rain.

Water shapes fog. Oceans, lakes, and rivers create fog by releasing moisture into the air, especially when water is warmer than the air above it. That's why foggy places are often near big bodies of water.

Fog affects travel. Thick fog can make it dangerous for ships, planes, and cars because drivers and pilots can't see far ahead. People have to slow down and use special navigation tools when fog rolls in.

Tiny ecosystems in fog. Scientists discovered that fog droplets actually contain bacteria and microorganisms that live and grow inside them, making fog an active living environment in the atmosphere.