Relationships between tropospheric water vapor and surface temperature as observed by radiosondes

Using radiosonde data from 50 stations for 1973–1990, we quantify relationships between surface air temperature (Ts) and precipitable water vapor (W) for different time scales. Monthly mean observations are fairly well described by an equation of the form ln W = A + B Ts, but the coefficients A and B depend on the Ts range considered. At high Ts, the relationship is poor. This relationship and relationships between sea surface temperature (SST) and W based on satellite microwave observations over oceans are in remarkably good agreement over restricted SST ranges. Monthly and annual anomalies of W and Ts are well correlated only outside the tropics, but on longer time scales, there is some evidence of positive trends in both W and Ts at most of the stations studied. Thus the relationship between W and Ts depends on the time scales and geographic region considered.

[1]  A. Robock,et al.  Annual cycles of tropospheric water vapor , 1992 .

[2]  D. Gutzler.  Climatic variability of temperature and humidity over the tropical western Pacific , 1992 .

[3]  F. Bréon,et al.  The clear-sky greenhouse effect sensitivity to a sea surface temperature change , 1991 .

[4]  Keith P. Shine,et al.  Sensitivity of the Earth's climate to height-dependent changes in the water vapour mixing ratio , 1991, Nature.

[5]  W. Elliott,et al.  On the Utility of Radiosonde Humidity Archives for climate studies , 1991 .

[6]  Thomas J. Greenwald,et al.  The Earth's radiation budget and its relation to atmospheric hydrology: 1. Observations of the clear sky greenhouse effect , 1991 .

[7]  Darren L. Jackson,et al.  Spaceborne observation of columnar water vapor: SSMI observations and algorithm , 1991 .

[8]  R. Ruedy,et al.  Simulations of the effect of a warmer climate on atmospheric humidity , 1991, Nature.

[9]  J. Lerner,et al.  Positive water vapour feedback in climate models confirmed by satellite data , 1991, Nature.

[10]  The relationship of sea surface temperature and water vapor amount to convection over the western tropical Pacific revealed from split window measurements , 1990 .

[11]  Graeme L. Stephens,et al.  On the relationship between water vapor over the oceans and sea surface temperature , 1990 .

[12]  V. Ramanathan,et al.  Observational determination of the greenhouse effect , 1989, Nature.

[13]  T. Barnett,et al.  Sea Surface Temperature, Surface Wind Divergence, and Convection over Tropical Oceans , 1987, Science.