title: Identification of human-induced changes in atmospheric moisture content.
abstract: Data from the satellite-based Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) show that the total atmospheric moisture content over oceans has increased by 0.41 kg/m(2) per decade since 1988. Results from current climate models indicate that water vapor increases of this magnitude cannot be explained by climate noise alone. In a formal detection and attribution analysis using the pooled results from 22 different climate models, the simulated "fingerprint" pattern of anthropogenically caused changes in water vapor is identifiable with high statistical confidence in the SSM/I data. Experiments in which forcing factors are varied individually suggest that this fingerprint "match" is primarily due to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases and not to solar forcing or recovery from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Our findings provide preliminary evidence of an emerging anthropogenic signal in the moisture content of earth's atmosphere.
authors: Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA. santer1@llnl.gov
authors: B D
authors: BD
authors: Santer
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Mears
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Wentz
authors: K E
authors: KE
authors: Taylor
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Gleckler
authors: T M L
authors: TM
authors: Wigley
authors: T P
authors: TP
authors: Barnett
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Boyle
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Brüggemann
authors: N P
authors: NP
authors: Gillett
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Klein
authors: G A
authors: GA
authors: Meehl
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Nozawa
authors: D W
authors: DW
authors: Pierce
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Stott
authors: W M
authors: WM
authors: Washington
authors: M F
authors: MF
authors: Wehner
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D001272:Atmosphere; D002980:Climate; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018534:Earth, Planet; D004463:Ecology; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D006802:Human Activities; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008872:Microwaves; D013472:Sunlight; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water