Water vapor albedo

Ear from being just the processing of water on Earth, this cycle is the basis for a wide range of meteorologic, geochemical, and biological systems. Water is the transport medium for all nutrients in the biosphere. Water vapor condensed into clouds is the chief control on planetary albedo. The cycling of water is also one of the major mechanisms for the transportation of sensible heat (e.g. in oceanic circulation) and latent heat that is released when water falls from the air. 

Another family of feedbacks involving biota arise via the process of evapotranspiration in which the rate of water vapor is transferred from the land surface to the atmosphere is mediated by plants. Several consequences have been proposed that include influences of biota on the greenhouse effect of water vapor as well as relative humidity and clouds. Lovelock (1988) suggested that tropical forests might be kept cool by increasing cloud cover in response to higher relative humidity released through enhanced evapotranspiration (via the clouds influences on albedo). Yet another connection arises because tree-covered land has different turbulence properties above it than bare soil, which also influences the cloud cover above. 

Since feedbacks may have a large potential for control of albedo and therefore temperature, it seems necessary to highlight them as targets for study and research. Besides the simple example above of cloud area or cloud extent, there are others that can be identified. High-altitude ice clouds, for example, (cirrus) have both an albedo effect and a greenhouse effect. Their occurrence is very sensitive to the amount of water vapor in the upper troposphere and to the thermal structure of the atmosphere. There may also be missing feedbacks. 

Hashimoto G. L. and Abe Y. (2001) Predictions of a simple cloud model for water vapor cloud albedo feedback on Venus. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 14675—14690. 

Snow is a porous medium formed of air, ice crystals and small amounts of chemical impurities. Because ice has a high vapor pressure (165 Pa at -15°C, 610 Pa at 0°C), the vertical temperature gradient that is almost always present within the snowpack generates sublimation and condensation of water vapor that change the size and shape of snow crystals. This results in changes in physical variables such as density, albedo, heat conductivity, permeability and hardness. These physical changes have formed the basis for the definition of snow metamorphism. ... 

A visible mass of condensed water vapor particles or ice suspended above the Earth s surface. Clouds may be classified on their visible appearance, height, or form, cloud albedo... 

Reflectivity that varies fi om less than 10 to more than 90% of the insolation and depends on drop sizes, liquid water content, water vapor content, thickness of the cloud, and the sun s zenith angle. The smaller the drops and the greater the liquid water content, the greater the cloud albedo, if all other factors are the same, cloud feedback... 

Thermodynamic models that determine the equilibrium temperature distribution for an atmospheric column and the underlying surface, subject to prescribed solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere and prescribed atmospheric composition and surface albedo. Submodels for the transfer of solar and terrestrial radiation, the heat exchange between the earth s surface and atmosphere, the vertical redistribution of heat within the atmosphere, the atmospheric water vapor content and clouds are included in these one-dimensional models. Abbreviated as RCM. radiatively active gases... 

For weather prediction in the polar areas, it is important to take into account the effects of sea ice. Approximately 2% of the total water on the earth is stored in the form of ice in polar areas and glaciers. Sea ice accounts for nearly two-thirds of the earth s ice cover in areal extent. Sea ice plays the major role of controlling the exchange of heat, water vapor, and momentum between sea and air in the polar regions. Ice cuts off heat and water vapor transport from the ocean to the atmosphere and increases the albedo. Thus, similar to snow cover over land, sea ice contributes to cooling over the ice surface, which, in turn, tends to thicken the ice— a positive climatic feedback. 

---