The report is based on the work of the AGU Chapman Conference on Water Vapor in the Climate System held October 25-28, 1994, at Jekyll Island, Georgia, but encompasses material from other sources and the thoughtful input of many scientists throughout its preparation and review. This report describes traditional measurement systems and promising new technologies that together may provide the continuity and quality of observations needed to improve our understanding of water vapor in the climate system. Monitoring long-term changes in water vapor, which are closely linked to other climate variations and trends, is needed to both predict and detect changes. There are some aspects of the role of water vapor as a greenhouse gas that are not well understood, again mainly because we lack the necessary observations to test theoretical models. This basic picture is complicated by important interactions between water vapor, clouds, atmospheric motion, and radiation from both the Sun and the Earth. The additional water vapor, acting as a greenhouse gas, absorbs energy that would otherwise escape to space and so causes further warming. As the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere increases, the atmosphere is able to hold more water vapor. Water vapor is involved in an important climate feedback loop. There are many atmospheric greenhouse gases, some naturally occurring and some resulting from industrial activities, but probably the most important greenhouse gas is water vapor. The basic operation of the hydrologic cycle is well known, but some details are poorly understood, mainly because we do not have sufficiently good observations of water vapor. The movement of water vapor through the hydrological cycle is strongly coupled to precipitation and soil moisture, which have important practical implications. In the vapor phase, water moves quickly through the atmosphere and redistributes energy associated with its evaporation and recondensation. The hydrological cycle describes the movement of water, in all three phases, within and between the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and continents. This report provides a basic description of the scientific understanding of the roles water vapor plays in the climate system. Water in the gaseous phase, water vapor, is a key element in both of these. The climate of Earth is able to support life in large part because of the atmospheric greenhouse effect and the workings of the hydrological cycle. Achutuni, NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service.) Summary The 6.7 m data are related to water vapor, with a peak signal between about 550 and 350 mbar. Upper tropospheric humidity patterns on April 27, 1995, at 1745 UTC as measured by the GOES 8 satellite. Printed version ISBN number 0-87590-865-9 For permission for other uses, contact the AGU Publications Office. Permission is granted to journalists to use material in this publication at their discretion and to individual scientists for research or classroom use. WATER VAPOR in the CLIMATE SYSTEMĬopyright 1995 by the American Geophysical Union, 2000 Florida Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20009. AGU Web Site: Water Vapor in the Climate System.
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