The Quintessential Greenhouse Gas Sensor of Our Time
Water vapor is Earth's most dominant greenhouse gas
Mean clear air water vapor distribution, 500 millibar to top-of-atmosphere, January 2003 (L) and July 2003 (R) monthly averages
It comes as a surprise to many, but water vapor is the most dominant greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere. It accounts for about 60% of the greenhouse effect of the global atmosphere, far exceeding the total combined effects of increased carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and other greenhouse gases.
AIRS advanced technology makes it the most advanced water vapor sensor ever built. And AIRS water vapor data is already improving climate models. Beyond water vapor, AIRS measures all the other primary greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, the largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas, carbon monoxide, methane, and ozone.
