I need a time series for the water vapor at tropopause level an above. to find the relation between tropopause and water vapor. can you suggest a plotting site ?
Attaullah:
Go to the following link:
http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/name-ser.html
Type Water in the Name Box, and tick the "Phase Change". then click "Search". Another window will open, where you can click on the "Fluid Properties" and then obtain any thermodynamic data either as plot or as table.
I hope you'll find it useful
Reza
Attaullah, this is not a simple problem. Amounts of water vapor at the heights of interest are extremely low, probably around the level of detection or lower. Therefore if you do find such data you can expect it to be very noisy. Water vapor is probably not routinely measured or reported in the standard upper air observations at these heights. You may find some satellite data, but again bear in mind the uncertainties. In order to develop a time series you can try to look at the various reanalysis data sets (e.g., NCEP/NCAR, ECMWF, NASA...) but don't expect much above 300 hPa. Try a google search of terms such as "water vapor at 100 hPa" or "water vapor at the tropopause" or "water vapor in the stratosphere" to at least get an idea of what maybe out there and how other researchers approach this question. You will probably find that the only area where there is a chance of finding some data will be in the tropics.
ECMWF reanalysis data has H2O profiles in different forms. You can start with this link: http://data-portal.ecmwf.int/data/d/interim_full_daily/
The best instrument is probably the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). Data are available through NASA. I also maintain a composite database of MLS and other satellite sounders. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/groups/csd8/swoosh/
To Sean Davis:
Thanks!! I have been looking for this kind of time series data for some time.
Long story short, we are running very large scale grid models to assess changes in deep tropical convection as a function of sea surface temperature (SST) - the results clearly predict that the water vapor content of the atmosphere should be increasing and thus enhancing the water vapor feedback loop in global "warming".
I realize that measuring water vapor in the atmosphere is an instrumental challenge due to calibration and noise issues. Most of the data I have seen are at least consistent with increases in water vapor (since around 1990). I am wondering if that is your general sense of the situation as well.
Thanks in advance.
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