What Could Cause the Atmosphere to Hold More Water?

In summary, the conversation discusses the potential for the atmosphere to hold more water than the estimated 1% that it currently contains. Various factors such as increased temperatures, airbourne particulates, and land cover could potentially affect the amount of water in the atmosphere. The idea is for a fictional story and the conversation mentions the possibility of a cataclysmic event causing a surge in water in the atmosphere. The conversation also briefly touches on the concept of a planet with a significantly higher amount of water in its atmosphere, causing frequent and severe flooding.
  • #1
jonathanplumb
17
0
I've read that our atmosphere contains roughly 1% of our global water. I was wondering what, if anything except increased temperatures, could cause the atmosphere to hold more water than that (maybe even considerably more). Any kinda of idea would be great, even ideas that would involve massive changes to our atmosphere.
 
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  • #2
Just bumping my thread, hoping somebody may have any kind of hypothesis.
 
  • #3
What you have read is that about 1% of the atmosphere, mass fraction or volume fraction are seldom stated, is water vapor or water adsorbed on aerosols, or water microdroplets, or frozen microdroplets.

How much more water do you want?
 
  • #4
Things like airbourne particulates could affect the amount of cloud (and it's worth noting cloud, being composed of liquid droplets, interacts with radiation very differently from water vapour), things like land cover and wind patterns could affect how much the atmosphere is let dry out over regions..
 
  • #5
I'm talking massive amounts of water. Hypothetically speaking, let's say there was NO water on our surface and it was ALL in our atmosphere. Or let's say our oceans were 50% of what they are now and the other 50% was in the atmosphere, or 75/25, 90/10, etc.

Is there anything that could result in such a massive body of water being in the atmosphere. Obviously (or I'd assume "obviously") it'd be in a gaseous form (clouds, etc), but instead of the clouds breaking apart into rain because of gravity, the water just stays up there, or any other possible explanation.

This is, of course, completely hypothetical, so I don't expect any proof or evidence, etc. Maybe even consider it isn't even Earth.

The idea is for a story I am writing, and I'm trying to make all the aspects of the planet seem as physically possible as I can. Worst-case scenario, I raise the global temperature of the planet considerably to sustain heavier loads of water in the atmosphere.

Thanks.
 
  • #6
It sounds as though you're grasping to reconcile science with biblical stories (all the water located above the sky and never raining). What the hey, google "greenhouse venus", or else consider the water originating from comets.
 
  • #7
The greatest rainfalls we get are from thunderstorms, and these are most often caused by a cold front slipping under warmer mass of air. This causes updrafts, very turbulent air and the biggest, tallest clouds (cumulonimbus can be over 30,000ft high). Humidity accumulates locally until the air saturates and it starts raining, most often melting hail.

[Sci-Fi mode:]

Perhaps you could imagine the widest, fastest front ever, which would sweep up humidity to unforeseen levels. Such a phenomena might be caused by some cataclysmic event such as, I dunno, a large meteor crashing into Antarctica, sending a wall of icebergs, tsunamis and cold air masses towards the hotter equator from all directions. This would mess up climate quite a bit at least. Perhaps you can convince the sci-fi reader that it's sufficiently messed up to hold more water. Perhaps you can throw in an osmosis effect such as the atmosphere filling up with ionic minerals that tend to attract water (the way salt causes osmosis in liquid water). IMO, if it's sci-fi, you should be able to get away with stuff like that.
 
  • #8
cesiumfrog said:
It sounds as though you're grasping to reconcile science with biblical stories (all the water located above the sky and never raining). What the hey, google "greenhouse venus", or else consider the water originating from comets.

Kinda funny you mention that, because the idea is similar in nature. The planet holds considerably more water than Earth and whenever it rains, it floods. Unlike Earth, however, where the biblical event happened once, on my planet it happens every time it rains.
 
  • #9
An impractical guess: what if the Earth's rotation speeded up? I believe that would lower the temperature of evaporation/condensation. If Earth rotated fast enough, I assume all water would be converted into cloud-cover, if not expelled out of orbit completely.
 

1. What is the main factor that could cause the atmosphere to hold more water?

The main factor that could cause the atmosphere to hold more water is an increase in temperature. As temperature rises, the air molecules have more energy and can hold more water vapor. This is known as the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship, which states that for every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature, the atmosphere can hold approximately 7% more water vapor.

2. How does global warming contribute to the atmosphere holding more water?

Global warming is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat and cause the Earth's temperature to rise. As a result, the atmosphere can hold more water vapor due to the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship. This leads to more intense and frequent precipitation events, such as heavy rainfall and snowstorms.

3. Are there any other factors besides temperature that can affect the atmosphere's ability to hold water?

Yes, there are other factors that can impact the atmosphere's ability to hold water. One major factor is atmospheric pressure. When air pressure decreases, the air molecules have more space to move around and can hold more water vapor. Additionally, wind patterns and humidity levels can also affect the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.

4. How do natural processes, such as evaporation and transpiration, contribute to the amount of water in the atmosphere?

Natural processes, such as evaporation and transpiration, play a crucial role in the amount of water in the atmosphere. When water evaporates from bodies of water, plants, and soil, it turns into water vapor and enters the atmosphere. This process is known as evapotranspiration. As temperatures rise, more water can evaporate, leading to an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere.

5. Can human activities impact the atmosphere's ability to hold water?

Yes, human activities can have a significant impact on the atmosphere's ability to hold water. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other industrial processes contribute to the increase in greenhouse gases, which leads to global warming. As mentioned earlier, this can cause the atmosphere to hold more water vapor, resulting in more extreme weather events and changes in precipitation patterns.

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