Dew

[1] As the exposed surface cools by radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate greater than that at which it can evaporate, resulting in the formation of water droplets.

Preferred weather conditions include the absence of clouds and little water vapor in the higher atmosphere to minimize greenhouse effects and sufficient humidity of the air near the ground.

Typical dew nights are classically considered calm, because the wind transports (nocturnally) warmer air from higher levels to the cold surface.

For its measurement, plants, leaves, or whole soil columns are placed on a balance with their surface at the same height and in the same surroundings as would occur naturally, thus providing a small lysimeter.

Further methods include estimation by means of comparing the droplets to standardized photographs or volumetric measurement of the amount of water wiped from the surface.

[5] Another effect of dew is its hydration of fungal substrates and the mycelia of species such as pleated inkcaps, often found on lawns, and Phytophthora infestans which causes blight on potato plants.

Also, according to the myth, the dew in the morning was created when Eos (Ersa's aunt), goddess of the dawn, cried for her son's death, although later he received immortality.

"[11] In the Catholic Mass in the Western Rite, whenever the Second Eucharistic Prayer is used, the priest prays over bread and wine, to God the Father; ‘Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The idea that the Holy Spirit enters the world and our lives in a quiet, undramatic way, ‘like the dewfall’, has great appeal for many Christians.

[citation needed] The harvesting of dew potentially allows water availability in areas where supporting weather conditions, such as rain, are lacking.

At present, the International Organization for Dew Utilization (OPUR) is working on effective, foil-based condensers for regions where rain or fog cannot cover water needs throughout the year.

Large-scale dew harvesting systems have been made by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) with the participation of OPUR in the coastal, semiarid region of Kutch.