Open AccessMeasuring the effect of water vapor on climate warming
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo120007
Subject(s) - water vapor , environmental science , limiting , atmosphere (unit) , greenhouse gas , positive feedback , atmospheric sciences , climate change , global warming , greenhouse effect , feedback loop , climatology , meteorology , physics , computer science , ecology , engineering , biology , geology , mechanical engineering , electrical engineering , computer security
Water vapor is a potent greenhouse gas. In the atmosphere, the concentration of water vapor increases with the temperature, setting up a powerful positive feedback loop. This water vapor feedback is the strongest known positive feedback, with the potential to roughly double the effect of warming caused by other sources. Determining the exact strength of the water vapor feedback, then, is incredibly important to limiting uncertainty in future climate change projections.