ISSI International Team: Climate impacts of stratospheric water vapour
Water vapor variations in the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) have been shown to crucially affect atmospheric circulation and climate. For example, climate feedbacks due to stratospheric water vapor are dominated by trends in this region. Although UTLS water vapor has been the subject of considerable research due to its importance for climate, progress in understanding its impacts has been limited. This is largely because satellite and in-situ observations carry large uncertainties, and atmospheric models exhibit some of their largest biases in this region. The proposed ISSI team will bring together experts from the different fields of satellite and in-situ observations, process and climate modelling, dynamics and process understanding to make significant progress in understanding, observing and simulating water vapor in the UTLS. We will:
- explore capabilities of existing satellite and in-situ datasets in the UTLS,
- assess the representation of stratospheric water vapor in climate and weather forecast models,
- estimate water vapor trends in the UTLS and impacts on circulation, climate and predictability, and
- identify future needs for observations and models.