Originally Posted by DoB
The only area where water is a concern to climatologists relative to global climate change is a concern that as the air warms over decades the total water in gaseous phase may increase and provide a small contribution to a sort of runaway warming scenario.
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The issue of atmospheric water is a vexing one for climate modellers. Water is a greenhouse gas and traps heat. It also forms clouds that reflect sunlight. Both these effects are significant but in opposite directions. The linkage between the oceans and atmpsphere in terms of evapouration and energy exchanage is one of the weaker parts of climate models and the focus of much reasearch.