Persistent Water Vapour Contamination and Stratospheric Measurement

Abstract

WATER vapour profiles in the stratosphere have long been a subject of controversy because of the difficulties involved in measuring extremely small water vapour concentrations. Such information is important both intrinsically and because of the influence of water concentration on the radiation budget of the Earth. But the determination of these profiles is expected to arouse even greater interest and activity because of the possibility that injection of large amounts of water into the stratosphere by a fleet of supersonic transports could radically alter the water concentration in the stratosphere with the consequent severe ecological effects. We present here evidence of the subtle and long lasting effects of water contamination sources on ambient water vapour measurements in the stratosphere. This evidence was obtained during a long balloon flight at a float altitude of approximately 31–33.5 km.