Novel research aims to clarify impact of fog

Abstract

Water resource assessment While fog is frequently experienced in South Africa, its influence on natural systems has not received much attention from local researchers, especially in comparison to most other freshwater sources. While ecologists, botanists and hydrologists seem to agree that its impact must be vital, there is still limited understanding of the ecological and hydrological impacts of fog precipitation in South Africa. Yet, a number of places here record over ninety days of fog per annum, mostly along the West Coast and in mountainous regions. Along the West Coast, advection sea fog is common. This is formed when moist air from the South Atlantic Ocean passes over the cold Benguela Upwelling region and is cooled down. Along the mountains of the Eastern Escarpment and the Western Cape, the most frequent source of fog is orographic fog and stratus clouds. The first happens when low level onshore flow blows air up the escarpment, adiabatically cooling it as it rises, causing the moisture in it to condense.

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