Investigating Arctic total water vapour retrieved from satellite data - changes since 2003

• Main Author: Radovan, Ana
• Other Authors: Fuchs, Željka
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Sveučilište u Splitu. Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet. Odjel za fiziku. 2015
• Subjects: PRIRODNE ZNANOSTI. Geofizika; NATURAL SCIENCES. Geophysics; water vapour; Arctic; climate changes; AMSU-B radiometer; albedo; arktika; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://zir.nsk.hr/islandora/object/pmfst:221; https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:166:575987; https://repozitorij.svkst.unist.hr/islandora/object/pmfst:221; https://repozitorij.svkst.unist.hr/islandora/object/pmfst:221/datastream/PDF

For the past few decades increased temperature of Arctic’s atmosphere, where surface air temperature increase is more than twice than global, called “Arctic amplification“, has drawn a lot attention [1]. While many factors as changes in atmospheric heat transport from lower latitudes, sea-ice extent/albedo or cloud cover are suggested as significant contributors, in this study we put our focus on changes in total water vapour (TWV) since water vapour can be an indirect evidence of warming. Data for the period 2003-2009, derived from the AMSUB (NOAA-17) microwave radiometer have been examined. We have found that Arctic as a whole has positive trends in TWV, but we have also found high spatial and seasonal variability with different significance of the changes.