According to Andrew Dessler, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University, said that warming, due to increases in greenhouse gases, will lead to higher humidity in the atmosphere.

And because water vapor itself is a greenhouse gas, this will cause additional warming, Dessler said.

He said the process is known as water vapor feedback and is responsible for a significant portion of the warming predicted to occur over the next century.

“It’s a vicious cycle – warmer temperatures mean higher humidity, which in turn leads to even more warming,” Dessler said.