Water Vapor & Climate Change

VIRGINIA KEY, FL (Oct. 6, 2005) – A new study published in this week’s issue of Science confirms evidence of global warming using satellite measurements of water vapor – a well-known greenhouse gas – in the troposphere.

Using satellite measurements of water vapor from 1982 to 2004, Dr. Brian Soden from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, and colleagues were able to confirm the climate model simulations that have long indicated that moisture is increasing in the upper troposphere and this water vapor build up is exacerbating global warming. Their findings are published in the paper, “The Radiative Signature of Upper Tropospheric Moistening.â€

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“Up until now, our ability to detect such changes had been limited by inadequate observational data,†Soden said. “What’s most significant about our research is that we have identified a distinct characteristic of moistening in the satellite record. We can now see how the climate’s behavior is consistent with current models, validating their accuracy and their projections of future global warming.â€

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://www.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,17...41812-3,00.html