Conventional wisdom suggests that warm air rises while cold air sinks. However, recent satellite observations show that, on average, rising air is colder than sinking air in the tropical free troposphere. This is due to the buoyancy effect of water vapor: the molar mass of water vapor is less than that of dry air, making humid air lighter than dry air at the same temperature and pressure. Unfortunately, this vapor buoyancy effect has been considered negligibly small and therefore overlooked in large-scale climate dynamics.
ND-GAIN to launch Global Urban Climate Assessment, measuring climate resiliency at the city level
Building on its pioneering Country Index, which ranks climate vulnerability and readiness across more than 180 countries, the University of Notre Dame’s Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) will soon begin tracking the progress of such efforts in cities around the world. Based on evolving climate vulnerability and adaptation research, the Global...