"Knut-Frode" wrote in message ...
Bill Habr wrote:
"Knut-Frode" wrote in message
...
Bill Habr wrote:
"MET" wrote in message
...
How can one estimate the water content of the atmosphere from surface
data such as temperature, dew point temperature, sea level pressure
and relative humidity? (The height of the station is also known.)

Thanks your help.

Regards MET
You can't.



You can not calculate exactly, but you can of course estimate it.
E.g.:


http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?...V%3E2.0.CO%3B2


So estimate the "water content of the atmosphere" and post your answer


The paper gives as best fit:
W = exp(-0.981 + 0.0341*F)
Where W is the water content in cm/m2 and T is the temperature in
Farenheit (old paper...)
So, for example with T = 50F (283 Kelvin), W is 2.06 cm/m2, and with T =
32F (273 Kelvin), W = 1.12 cm/m2.


There is a reason why I said you can't. Given a very small area around a station and no
air movement your answer would be resonable estimate for such a column of air.