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The variability of mesospheric water vapor
Author(s) -
Gibbins C. J.,
Schwartz P. R.,
Thacker D. L.,
Bevilacqua R. M.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl009i002p00131
Subject(s) - altitude (triangle) , mesosphere , water vapor , atmospheric sciences , eddy diffusion , mixing ratio , environmental science , diffusion , line (geometry) , stratosphere , meteorology , physics , turbulence , thermodynamics , geometry , mathematics
Measurements of the H 2 O emission line at 22.2 GHz show that the concentration in the mesosphere of water vapor molecules can be highly variable, ranging from nearly constant mixing ratios of 2‐4 ppmv, up to a layer near 65 km altitude with peak values around 12 ppmv. Results above 70 km altitude have been used to deduce a value for the vertical eddy diffusion coefficient of (4.4 ± 0.7)×10 5 cm²sec −1 .