Remember that the increase of water holding capacity of our atmosphere is not linear: it increases exponentially with temperature. Physics 101: Clausius-Clapeyron law. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clausiu... - ThreadSky

rahmstorf.bsky.social • 30 days ago

Remember that the increase of water holding capacity of our atmosphere is not linear: it increases exponentially with temperature. Physics 101: Clausius-Clapeyron law.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clausius%E2%80%93Clapeyron_relation

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mrhenrymorris.bsky.social•30 days ago

My dog wrote a column about this yesterday.

https://mrhenrymorris.substack.com/p/dooks

uffe1974.bsky.social•30 days ago

According to the Wikipedia page, the increase is about 7% pr 1 K, so even if "exponential" sounds dramatic, it's pretty linear over relevant ranges?

bigbounce.bsky.social•30 days ago

But it is not proportional to temperature. A 1% change in temperature (in Kelvin) gives 20% more water vapor.

uffe1974.bsky.social•30 days ago

I don't think many people think of temperature changes in relation to climate as percentages of absolute (Kelvin) temperature?

bigbounce.bsky.social•30 days ago

That may be the case, still climate change will cause a significant increase in water vapor content. But I agree, maybe there are better ways to convey this than (correctly) stating that it is exponential.

uffe1974.bsky.social•30 days ago

I guess it being exponential matters in the sense that tropical regions (where rainfall is already more dramatic) will see the same *relative* change as colder regions (all other things equal). Probably what people expect intuitively anyways, but still important.

bigbounce.bsky.social•30 days ago

Yes, I think for conveying this to people, thinking of taking a hot shower and how “steamy” it gets in the cubicle is a good analogy.

bigbounce.bsky.social•30 days ago

So yes, it can be approximated by a straight line, but a quite steep one.

8t3v3n.bsky.social•29 days ago

There can be local super Clausius Claperyon events too.

greyarea22.bsky.social•30 days ago

People have no idea how bad it will get

These homes flooded today are effectively worth nothing

Uninsurable, uninhabitable

Refugees in our own country

How welcome will they be?

visionforfuture.bsky.social•30 days ago

How do you expect that people know what exponentially means, if they have problems count one plus one together? See Eike, MAGAs, AfD and other climate deniers

better-life.bsky.social•30 days ago

According to the Trump administration this does not exist... His Trump building in Miami is situated 30 cm above sealevel. Why would that be a problem 🤔

stracker.bsky.social•30 days ago

Was watching a Brian Cox, planets episode, didn't Venus really start its greenhouse runaway effect as more water was held in the atmosphere, inferred radiation reflected back from the ground after being warmed by the Sun couldn't escape so creating more of a warming effect and the cycle continues

xanthh.bsky.social•29 days ago

That Wikipedia article is so unhelpful to someone who doesn't have a degree in science 🙄

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