Water is a greater absorber of IR than CO2, it also makes up 4% of the air by volume. If 0.016% change in CO2 over 100 years can increase the temperature by 1 deg C, what is the effect of the 4% water vapour on the temperature? Also do you think that answer makes sense?
To determine the effect of water vapour on temperature, we can follow a similar approach as with the CO2 concentration change.
First, let's calculate the concentration change of water vapour. Since water vapour makes up 4% of the air by volume, we can convert this to a decimal by dividing it by 100: 4% / 100 = 0.04.
Next, we need to find out how much increase in water vapour concentration leads to a 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature. Unfortunately, the information provided does not specify this relationship. The question assumes that the same concentration change of CO2 (0.016%) causes a 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature over 100 years, but we do not have an equivalent value for water vapour.
Without this information, we cannot calculate the exact effect of the 4% water vapour on temperature. However, we can make a general observation that water vapour is indeed a greater absorber of infrared (IR) radiation compared to CO2. As such, an increase in water vapour concentration would likely have a significant impact on temperature, potentially more significant than the calculated effect of the CO2 concentration change.
However, it is important to note that the climate system is highly complex, and various feedback mechanisms and interactions among different components make it challenging to isolate and quantify the specific effects of individual factors. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a precise answer without additional information and analysis.
Regarding whether the answer makes sense, it is difficult to evaluate without a specific quantitative assessment. However, it is reasonable to expect that water vapour, being a greater absorber of IR radiation, has a significant influence on temperature. This aligns with the understanding that water vapor is a potent greenhouse gas and plays a substantial role in Earth's climate system.