Thermal properties
Water absorbs or releases more heat than many substances for each degree of temperature increase or decrease. Because of this, it is widely used for cooling and for transferring heat in thermal and chemical processes.
Differences in temperature between lakes and rivers and the surrounding air may have a variety of effects. For example, local fog or mist is likely to occur if a lake cools the surrounding air enough to cause saturation; consequently, small water droplets are suspended in the air.
Large bodies of water, such as the oceans or the Great Lakes, have a profound influence on climate. They are the world's great heat reservoirs and heat exchangers and the source of much of the moisture that falls as rain and snow over adjacent land masses.
When water is colder than the air, precipitation is curbed, winds are reduced, and fog banks are formed.
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