How much is water vapor present in the Earth's atmosphere at any time?

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A lot of water is present in the atmosphere of our planet.

Due to its abundance of water, Earth has been dubbed the "blue planet." As opposed to other planets in our solar system and possibly beyond, Earth has abundant liquid water, allowing millions upon millions of species to grow and evolve. According to the US Geological Survey, 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, while 96.55% of the planet's water supply is in the oceans (USGS). During the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, water does not just stay in the ground; it flows to the atmosphere.

At any given time, how much water is in the atmosphere? Do we have enough in the way of what might happen if it all fell at once?

Simple math tells us that there are currently several quadrillion cubic feet of water vapor in the atmosphere. If this water were to rain down in its entirety, it would wreak havoc on millions of people.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the total amount of water on Earth is approximately 332.5 million cubic miles (1.4 billion cubic kilometers). To put it in perspective, a cubic mile of water contains 1,166 million Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth of water.

The hydrologic cycle ensures that water on Earth never stays in one spot for an extended period. It converts to vapor, condenses to form clouds, and then returns to the Earth as precipitation after evaporating. The cycle is then restarted.

According to Britannica, evaporated water can be found in the atmosphere for up to ten days. Water vapor is practically pouring into the atmosphere as a result of this.

Frédéric Fabry, the director of the J. Stewart Marshall Radar Observatory and an associate professor of the environment and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill University in Canada, tells Live Science that on average, there is about the equivalent of 30 mm [1.2 inches] of rain in the form of vapor available to fall over any point on Earth's surface.

According to him, approximately 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of water are dispersed over every square yard.

According to Fabry, the amount of water in the atmosphere is around 37.5 million billion gallons over a surface area of 197 million square miles (510 million square kilometers). He said it would raise the worldwide ocean level by about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) if all of this mass fell at once.

Even if all of this vapor were to fall at once, the sea level would rise dramatically, which might have disastrous implications. For example, the Climate Change Post reports that low-lying cities in India and Indonesia with populations of over 28 million currently prone to coastal flooding would be "seriously affected" if global sea levels increase by just 2 inches (5 cm).

Another study published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2017 found that an increase in sea levels of 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) would quadruple the frequency of floods in various areas, especially in the tropics.

Even if every drop of rain fell from the sky, it would not fall evenly throughout the globe. This is because some regions of the planet have more rainfall than others.

Fabry believes that the equilibrium between water entering the atmosphere and water exiting determines how much water is in the air we breathe. "The movement of air in the atmosphere is determined by the amount of water on the surface and the temperature. The warmth of the surface provides the energy needed to evaporate water. Whereas evaporation is greatest in warm oceans, it is lowest on Arctic land."

Winter in the Arctic or high mountains means that there is less water in the atmosphere than it is in tropical areas and low wet areas. This is because warm air is better at transporting water than cold air, according to Fabry.

Other elements, such as geology and geography, impact the speed at which air rises into the atmosphere and is then cooled. Thus, "upwind regions" of mountainous places "receive more than their share of precipitation," Fabry said, as a result. According to the USGS, this helps to explain why Seattle, Washington, which is located near the Cascade Mountains, receives so much rain.

Climate change is expected to significantly impact the amount of vapor in the atmosphere during the next few decades. If the temperature rises, the amount of water in the atmosphere will also increase, according to Fabry.

As a result, the rate of global warming is on the verge of accelerating. Increased levels of water vapor in the atmosphere will contribute to warming and intensify the greenhouse effect due to its potent greenhouse properties.

Reference : https://www.livescience.com/how-much-water-earth-atmosphere

Image source : https://pixabay.com/id/photos/awan-langit-suasana-berawan-414198/

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