In the February issue of Physics World, Ahilleas Maurellis of the Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON), Utrecht, reveals the role water vapour plays in our atmosphere.
Physics in Action
Feb 1, 2001
Could water vapour be the culprit in global warming?
It is easy to understand why most people - and many governments - are quick to blame "global warming" for apparently extreme variations in weather and seasonal trends. "Greenhouse gases" have long received a bad press, and carbon dioxide is often singled out as the culprit in global warming. Yet a recent study led by Richard Learner of Imperial College in London supports the possibility that water vapour could be a major contributor to atmospheric heating (D Belmiloud et al. 2000 Geophysical Res. Lett. 27 3703).