How Much H2O Can the MESOSPHERE Hold?

Question

I read 2 articles about water way up in the Mesosphere (possibly cometary water)
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_n8_v152/ai_19731995
"Reservoir of water hides high above Earth - water vapor in mesosphere"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20481255.html
"Water, water, way up high.(researchers find increased concentrations of water vapor in the middle layer of the atmosphere)"
How much water can the mesosphere retain before we have a disaster on our hands and it all comes crashing down on us?
If it comes down, will it release the Kinetic energy cause when it entered the atmosphere in the first place at thousands of miles a second,
OR, has that energy already been radiated back into space.

thank you for your answers

Answer 1

The articles can be misleading to the public. The amount of water they're referring to isn't like a lake or ocean. Water vapor in the mesosphere is measured in parts per million. If it was all condensed to liquid it would be rather insignificant in terms of how much fluid volume it occupied.

But, according to the articles, relative to the mesosphere there has been a significant increase in the amount of water vapor at those levels. In other words, a significant rise for the mesosphere...but if the same exact amount rose at the surface it would be rather insignificant. It is thought htat methane and oxygen readily react to form water vapor and carbon dioxide. So the articles are speculating that an increase in methane is causing the increase in water vapor as it oxidizes.

And given the fact that the average temperature of the mesosphere is around -146 F anyway, water vapor changes directly to ice without first becoming a liquid (deposition).

Answer 2

About 99.9% of the atmosphere is below the stratopause. There is not much in the mesosphere. As PSUmeteomedic says, we are not talking about vast amounts of water vapour. It might be a significant increase for the mesosphere but in absolute terms it is minuscule.

Answer 3

This is an interesting question but chk this out too !!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesosphere and then this too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noctilucent_cloud

Oh this is somehow shocking but then if the clashes in the atmosphere happen then it may use up the vapour as mentioned then it may not be so serious but still I think it's a good amount of scare for us on a whole.

Answer 4

Without H20? you mean to say water right? But how? we ask questions without water yeah? lol

Answer 5

All of your answers are wrong because I'm American

Answer 6

About twelve.