Upper Atmosphere Drying Trend Could Be Early
Warning Signal Announces White Paper

Report by DeWayne Cecil, PhD, for Sharon Kleyne Raises Questions about Atmospheric Water Vapor Content and Human Health

For the past 40 years, satellite observations suggest that the amount of water vapor in the upper atmosphere is decreasing causing a drying trend. During the same period, observation of Earth's land masses showed no changes and no trend in water vapor content. That was one point highlighted in a recent White Paper by Climatologist DeWayne Cecil, PhD, for a study team sponsored by Sharon Kleyne's Bio-Logic Aqua Research.

L. DeWayne Cecil, PhD, has had a distinguished career as a Climatologist in academic, government and private research settings. He has been employed as a researcher for the USGS Water Resources Discipline, the NASA Earth Observation Satellite program, Director of NOAA'a Western Region Climate Services and most recently, Chief Climatologist for Global Science and Technology, Inc. of Ashville, NC. .

Sharon Kleyne is Founder of Bio-Logic Aqua Research, a fresh water and health research, education and product development center. Natures Tears® EyeMist®, the company's global signature product, provides a pure water supplement for dry eyes and dry eyelids when the atmosphere's water vapor and pollution content cause an increase in eye dehydration. Kleyne also hosts the globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes.

The study team's objective, according to Kleyne and Cecil, is research and education regarding changes in atmospheric water content, including water vapor and precipitation, and the potential and observed impacts on human health. The intent is to stimulate discussion of the impact of climatic variation on targeted sectors across society with the goal of improving human responses, adaptation and planning.

Dr. Cecil's White Paper warns that we should not become complacent about what might be early warning changes in the atmosphere just because we don't observe them on the surface. Cecil is deeply concerned that with the recent defunding of in-situ remote sensing and airborne observational networks, our ability to identify long-term trends and avert potential disaster is greatly impaired. .

Dr. Cecil also notes that over the same period, there has also been a decrease in the mean monthly cloudiness over the Earth, which would cause both an increase in atmospheric temperatures and a decrease in precipitation.

On the other hand, Kleyne and Cecil note, a global trend towards warmer surface temperatures would have the effect of increasing the amount of vaporized fresh water the air is capable of holding and increasing the amount of water evaporation at the surface. The result should be more water vapor in the upper atmosphere, not less.

Sharon Kleyne suggests that pollution could play a significant role. She notes that several common particulate pollutants, such as fly ash and coal soot, have the ability to attract and attach to water droplets. Water vapor droplets that attach to particulate nuclei are less likely to reach the upper atmosphere and form raindrops but instead fall to the ground much sooner.

Interference by particulate pollutants, says Kleyne, could explain the tendency towards less rainfall and lower relative humidity in regions with poor air quality. Kleyne notes that many other pollutants, in addition to fly ash and soot, could be interfering with atmospheric water vapor content and hydrological processes. Some of these pollutants may not be obvious and much more research is required.

According to Sharon Kleyne, reduced atmospheric water vapor content, increased air pollution and higher temperatures all increase the rate of fresh water evaporation from skin and eyes, resulting in dehydration and related health symptoms. To counteract this, Kleyne recommends drinking at least eight full glasses of fresh water each day in addition to all other fluids. Kleyne also recommends carrying a portable hand-held personal humidifying device, such as Nature's Tears® EyeMist®, that emits a pure, fresh water, ultra-fine mist to naturally hydrate the eyes and supplement water that is lost to increased evaporative pressure.

Changes in the air's water vapor content, according to Kleyne, could explain the growing worldwide crisis in dry eye syndrome. Kleyne advocates much more research into the relationship between eye dehydration and atmospheric water vapor