May 14, 2009 -- Global warming can change storm patterns. In turn, storms might help fuel global warming. A new study suggests that tropical cyclones shoot water high into the atmosphere. The result may be a small but significant contribution to the greenhouse effect. "The bottom line is that tropical cyclones can't be counted out" as players in global climate change, said lead author David Romps, of Harvard University. "It's not something to lose sleep over. But there's a possibility for some type of feedback." For decades, scientists have been puzzled by two atmospheric mysteries: There is less water vapor in the upper atmosphere than there theoretically should be, said Columbia University atmospheric scientist Timothy Hall. Yet, there is more than there used to be. Related Content:
Both phenomena are related to the way temperature changes from one level of the atmosphere to the next. In the troposphere, which goes from the ground up to about nine miles, air gets colder as you go higher. In the stratosphere, which begins where the troposphere ends, the opposite happens: Air gets warmer with rising altitude. The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere, called the tropopause, is where temperatures are coldest. Clouds and the water they contain -- which are colder and heavier than the surrounding air -- tend to stay the troposphere because the relatively warm and light air in the stratosphere pushes them downwards. What's more, the tropopause is so cold that any water vapor that gets there falls out as ice before it can reach the stratosphere. Both of these effects keep the stratosphere dry. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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