Question

State three uses of water vapour in the air.

Answer 1

The three uses of water vapour in the air:

$\to$ Water vapour plays a dominant role in the radiative balance and the hydrological cycle.

$\to$ It is the principle element in the thermodynamics of the atmosphere, it transports latent heat, it contributes to absorption and emission in a number of bands and it condenses into clouds that reflect and absorb solar radiation, thus directly affecting the energy balance.

$\to$ In the lower atmosphere, the water vapour concentrations can vary by orders of magnitude from place to place. This variability creates a fundamental problem in climate modelling due to be high temporal and spatial resolution needed to resolve all processes.