Changes in precipitation with climate change

There is a direct influence of global warming on precipitation. Increased heating leads to greater evaporation and thus surface drying, thereby increasing the intensity and duration of drought. However, the water holding capacity of air increases by about 7% per 1C warming, which leads to increased water vapor in the atmosphere. Hence, storms, whether individual thunderstorms, extratropical rain or snow storms, or tropical cyclones, supplied with increased moisture, produce more intense precipitation events. Such events are observed to be widely occurring, even where total precipitation is decreasing: 'it never rains but it pours!' This increases the risk of flooding. The atmospheric and surface energy budget…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Award: NNX09AH89G
• NC
  National Center for Atmospheric Research
• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration