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Attribution of observed surface humidity changes to human influence

Author

Listed:
  • Katharine M. Willett

    (Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
    Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK)

  • Nathan P. Gillett

    (Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia)

  • Philip D. Jones

    (Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia)

  • Peter W. Thorne

    (Met Office Hadley Centre, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB, UK)

Abstract

Getting steamed up Atmospheric humidity has a big influence on the distribution and maximum intensity of precipitation, the potential intensity of tropical cyclones, surface hydrology and human heat stress. Significant increases in specific humidity — the ratio of water vapour to air in a given volume of air — have been observed at the Earth's surface, but it was not clear whether these changes are due to natural or human influences. Now, using a new data set of surface specific humidity observations, along with output from a coupled climate model, Willett et al. identify a significant increase in global mean surface specific humidity during the late twentieth century that is mainly attributable to human influence.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharine M. Willett & Nathan P. Gillett & Philip D. Jones & Peter W. Thorne, 2007. "Attribution of observed surface humidity changes to human influence," Nature, Nature, vol. 449(7163), pages 710-712, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:449:y:2007:i:7163:d:10.1038_nature06207
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06207
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    Cited by:

    1. Baruch Ziv & Hadas Saaroni, 2011. "The contribution of moisture to heat stress in a period of global warming: the case of the Mediterranean," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 104(2), pages 305-315, January.
    2. Barreca, Alan I., 2012. "Climate change, humidity, and mortality in the United States," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 19-34.
    3. Claesson, Jonas & Nycander, Jonas, 2013. "Combined effect of global warming and increased CO2-concentration on vegetation growth in water-limited conditions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 256(C), pages 23-30.
    4. Jieming Chou & Tian Xian & Wenjie Dong & Yuan Xu, 2018. "Regional Temporal and Spatial Trends in Drought and Flood Disasters in China and Assessment of Economic Losses in Recent Years," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Christian Huggel & Dáithí Stone & Hajo Eicken & Gerrit Hansen, 2015. "Potential and limitations of the attribution of climate change impacts for informing loss and damage discussions and policies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 453-467, December.
    6. Brigitte Mueller & Xuebin Zhang, 2016. "Causes of drying trends in northern hemispheric land areas in reconstructed soil moisture data," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 255-267, January.
    7. Thomas R. Knutson & Jeffrey J. Ploshay, 2016. "Detection of anthropogenic influence on a summertime heat stress index," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 25-39, September.

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