Scientists Say: Corn Sweat

Corn sweat (noun, “KORN SWET”)

Corn sweat is moisture released by cornfields during summer heat, particularly in the central United States. The scientific term for corn sweat is evapotranspiration. This process combines evaporation and transpiration. Those are both ways that water moves from the land into the air during Earth’s water cycle.

Evaporation happens when liquid water turns into water vapor and rises into the air. In the case of corn sweat, water evaporates from the surface of the soil in farm fields.

Transpiration is the movement of water from a plant’s roots to its surfaces. There, water vapor escapes through tiny holes on the stems and leaves. These tiny holes are known as stomata. Relea...