Human Caused Global Warming Will Not Happen

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ScottL
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Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:26 pm

Post by ScottL »

I was under the impression that while water vapor/droplets/etc in the air do result in a rise in temperature, there's a point where that effect reverses such that water acts as a stabilizer. Feel free to disprove or what not, I'm stating what I've read, not necessarily fact.

hanelyp
Posts: 2261
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:50 pm

Post by hanelyp »

Water vapor is a potent greenhouse gas. Water droplets in the atmosphere increase albedo and cool the planet. Evidence is gathering that at Earth normal temperatures the latter effect dominates.

In any case, Earth's climate is inconsistent with the positive feedback loop of the standard climate models which assume water vapor feedback as a dominant factor.

krenshala
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Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:20 pm
Location: Austin, TX, NorAm, Sol III

Post by krenshala »

Don't you mean "negative feedback"?

Diogenes
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Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:33 pm

Post by Diogenes »

ScottL wrote:I was under the impression that while water vapor/droplets/etc in the air do result in a rise in temperature, there's a point where that effect reverses such that water acts as a stabilizer. Feel free to disprove or what not, I'm stating what I've read, not necessarily fact.
Water vapor absorbs and retains heat far better than does Methane or Carbon Dioxide Thereby creating a positive feedback effect for temperature rise. As the water vapor approaches some level of density, it forms clouds which reflect more sunlight out into space before it has a chance to warm the atmosphere below or the ground. As a result, a postive feedback effect becomes a negative feedback effect.

Water vapor causes the entire system to self regulate within a temperature range.
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —

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