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Originally published in Science Express on 6 October 2005
Science 4 November 2005:
Vol. 310. no. 5749, pp. 841 - 844
DOI: 10.1126/science.1115602
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Reports

The Radiative Signature of Upper Tropospheric Moistening

Brian J. Soden,1* Darren L. Jackson,2 V. Ramaswamy,3 M. D. Schwarzkopf,3 Xianglei Huang4

Climate models predict that the concentration of water vapor in the upper troposphere could double by the end of the century as a result of increases in greenhouse gases. Such moistening plays a key role in amplifying the rate at which the climate warms in response to anthropogenic activities, but has been difficult to detect because of deficiencies in conventional observing systems. We use satellite measurements to highlight a distinct radiative signature of upper tropospheric moistening over the period 1982 to 2004. The observed moistening is accurately captured by climate model simulations and lends further credence to model projections of future global warming.

1 Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
2 Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
3 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA.
4 Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Program, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08542, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bsoden{at}rsmas.miami.edu

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