Water Vapor Essay Example

Water vapor is water in its gaseous state. Water vapor may form by evaporation of liquid water or by sublimation of solid water (ice). Water vapor (H2O) is a chemical combination of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen in which both the hydrogen and oxygen possess isotopes.

For a sample of water at a given temperature, the molecules of lower mass move with higher speeds than the more massive molecules and therefore more readily evaporate or sublimate. Thus, atmospheric water vapor is enriched in the lighter forms. In epochs of higher average planetary surface temperature, more low-mass water vapor forms, some of which is ultimately deposited as snow and ice in polar regions. The ratio of low-to-high mass water in ice cores yields a profile of how temperature has varied through time.
Water vapor is the principle atmospheric gas responsible