Dew is nature’s nighttime condensation. A seemingly magical phenomenon that leaves blades of grass wet under the stars.
But there’s a science to the moisture on grass — and why it gets so saturated at night.
It starts with the lows temperatures overnight, reducing air pressure, allowing water vapor to ignite and form dew drops on surfaces like grass blades. The drops are comprised of tiny droplets of water loaded with minerals we cannot see. This naturally occurring nectar seeps from plants’ stomata, delivering vital nourishment deep into their roots before evaporating in the day’s heat.
But it’s these cooler temperatures that allow for dew formation. Along with reducing atmospheric pressure, colder conditions also cause Earth’s surface to cool faster than its atmosphere due to radiation cooling. Essentially, this saps energy from Earth’s surface faster than it can be replaced by the air, meaning cooler surface conditions which make the perfect environment for liquid-water formation—and therefore turn those grass blades into a glistening green carpet each morning reminder of how dynamic our earth can be.