Water vapor in the atmosphere pdf

The atmospheric water vapor content is highly variable and. Estimating trends in atmospheric water vapor and temperature time series. Without the evaporation process, the global surface. As the heat energy of the water vapor is lost to the surrounding colder air, the water vapor condenses. Water vapour is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and, in addition, changes of water phase and cloudradiation interaction. Places where the air was dry are white, while places where water vapor was abundant. The evaporation of the 1m of water causes earths surface to lost 83 watts per square meter, almost half of the sunlight that reaches the surface.

Water vapor detected in atmosphere of an alien world. Percentage of water vapor in the atmosphere sciencing. Modeling the exchanges of energy, water, and carbon between continents and the atmosphere article pdf available in science 2755299. Water vapor department of atmospheric sciences university of. That water vapor rises into the atmosphere, carrying the heat up into the atmosphere. The water vapor maps show the total amount of water vapor in the column of air between the surface and the top of the atmosphere on average for the month. Water vapor is supplied to the atmosphere by evaporation from the surface and is removed from the atmosphere by condensation clouds and rains. Nasa water vapor confirmed as major player in climate change. A good understanding of the distribution of water vapor is very necessary for weather forecasting and climate prediction 2. As the water vapor rises, it eventually reaches levels where the atmosphere is less dense and the air colder. More water vapor more water vapor greenhouse effect. Earths surface lost heat to the atmosphere when water is evaporated from oceans to the atmosphere. The concentration of water vapor is maximum near the surface and the tropics 0. During the summer and fall of 2005, this visualization shows that most vapor collects at tropical latitudes, particularly over south asia, where monsoon thunderstorms swept the gas some 2 miles above the land.

Because water vapor is itself a greenhouse gas, this increase in humidity traps energy before it can escape to space, leading to additional warming. Scientists have detected water vapor in the atmosphere of k218 b, a potentially habitable alien world about twice the size of earth. The water vapor feedback is the process whereby an initial warming of the planet, caused, for example, by an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, leads to an increase in the humidity of the atmosphere. A short overview from a climate modellers point of view article in physics and chemistry of the earth part a solid earth and geodesy 2668. Global water vapor trend from 1988 to 2011 and its. The latent heat released when atmospheric water vapor condenses and the cooling. The observations were made by the modis sensor on nasas aqua satellite. Pdf atmospheric water vapor is a crucial component of the earths atmosphere, which is shown by precipitable water vapor. The role of water vapour in earths energy flows department of. The distribution of atmospheric water vapor, a significant greenhouse gas, varies across the globe. Pdf modeling the exchanges of energy, water, and carbon.

Water vapor is not only earths dominant greenhouse gas. The subsequent release of this energy in the atmosphere by condensation of water vapor is one of the main sources of energy driving atmospheric circulation and. Water vapor is a feedback to climate change, not a forcing of climate change. The atmosphere is the superhighway in the sky that moves water everywhere over the earth.