Atmospheric Moisture Content and Cloud Water Reserves

Abstract

Of great theoretical and practical interest are the moisture content of a vertical air column

$$ Q_S = \int\limits_0^H {\rho S\,dz,} $$

the water reserves of a cloud

$$ Q_\delta = \int\limits_{Z_L }^{Z_u } {\rho \,\delta dz,} $$

and the vapor content in a vertical air column

$$ Q_q = \int\limits_0^H {\rho q\,dz,} $$

In these formulas, s, δ, and q are, respectively, the specific values of the moisture content of the atmosphere, the cloud water content, and the air humidity; ρ is the air density; H is the height of the upper boundary of the atmosphere (this can be assumed to be the height of the tropopause, since the water-vapor content above the latter is low); and z₁ and z_u are. the heights of the lower and upper cloud boundaries.