Sj. Oltmans et al., The increase in stratospheric water vapor from balloonborne, frostpoint hygrometer measurements at Washington, DC, and Boulder, Colorado, GEOPHYS R L, 27(21), 2000, pp. 3453-3456
Stratospheric water vapor concentrations measured at two midlatitude locati
ons in the northern hemisphere show water vapor amounts have increased at a
rate of 1-1.5% yr(-1) (0.05-0.07 ppmv yr(-1)) for the past 35 years. At Wa
shington, D.C., measurements were made from 1964-1976, and at Boulder, Colo
rado, observations began in 1980 and continue to the present. While these t
wo data sets do not comprise a single time series, they individually show i
ncreases over their respective measurement periods. At Boulder the trends d
o not show strong seasonal differences; significant increases are found thr
oughout the year in the altitude range 16-28 km. In winter these trends are
significant down to about 13 km.