The Role of Water Vapour in Earth’s Energy Flows

Water vapour modulates energy flows in Earth's climate system through transfer of latent heat by evaporation and condensation and by modifying the flows of radiative energy both in the longwave and shortwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This article summarizes the role of water vap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Surveys in geophysics 2012-07, Vol.33 (3-4), p.557-564
Main Author: Allan, Richard P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Atmospheric sciences
Boundary layers
Climate
Climate system
Earth
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Evaporation
Exact sciences and technology
Geophysics
Geophysics/Geodesy
Hydrologic cycle
Internal geophysics
Latent heat
Observations and Techniques
Troposphere
Water
Water vapor
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Summary:Water vapour modulates energy flows in Earth's climate system through transfer of latent heat by evaporation and condensation and by modifying the flows of radiative energy both in the longwave and shortwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This article summarizes the role of water vapour in Earth's energy flows with particular emphasis on (1) the powerful thermodynamic constraint of the Clausius Clapeyron equation, (2) dynamical controls on humidity above the boundary layer (or free-troposphere), (3) uncertainty in continuum absorption in the relatively transparent "window" regions of the radiative spectrum and (4) implications for changes in the atmospheric hydrological cycle.
ISSN:0169-3298
1573-0956
DOI:10.1007/s10712-011-9157-8