Condensation don't form at 100% humidity, but at any percentage except zero. Condensation form when hydrogen bonds between and other non-covalent bonds form between water-water molecules or water-some other stuff. If there's too much kinetic energy(heat), the hydrogen bonds are broken as soon as they form, so no condensation happens. But when the water molecules raises in the atmosphere due to convection, they cool down, loose some kinetic energy, and it enables them to form hydrogen bonds. A high amount of humidity would accelerate the cloud formation process and condensation rate, but a low humidity wouldn't stop the formation of clouds, it would just mean the condensation rate is lower. Even if there isn't a lot of water molecules, they eventually collide with each other and form hydrogen bonds.
Also, if you have a warm ocean, there's be more kinetic energy at the surface, and it'll force convection. Higher up in the atmosphere, it's colder due to lower pressure and less absorbed energy from the sun so more so condensation happen. So if the oceans are warmer, there should be more clouds forming.
Last edited by Wowbagger; 12th-March-2008 at 06:38 PM.
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