CAVIAR

CAVIAR (Continuum Absorption at Visible and Infrared wavelengths and its Atmospheric Relevance) was a NERC (80%) and EPSRC (20%) Consortium Grant (Oct. 2006 - June 2011), involving the following UK universities and institutions:

• Imperial College
• Met Office
• National Physical Laboratory
• Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
• University College London
• University of Cambridge
• University of Leicester
• University of Reading

The project was led by Prof. Keith P. Shine at the University of Reading; scientific co-ordination was by DrSc. Igor V. Ptashnik who has now returned to the VE Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics in Tomsk, Russia. Although the formal CAVIAR project has ended, the publications of our CAVIAR-related work are updated regularly, and the main CAVIAR continuum data is also available.

CAVIAR addressed the component of the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by water vapour which varies relatively slowly with wavelength, known as the water vapour continuum.

The continuum has a significant impact on fluxes of infrared radiation and atmospheric cooling rates, with consequences for understanding the effect of water vapour on both the present-day climate, in climate change, and in remote sensing of the atmosp here.

The Special Issue of the Royal Society's meeting "Water in the Gas Phase" (13-14 June 2011) which includes many continuum-related papers (including several from CAVIAR) can be found here: Special Issue of Phil.Trans.Roy.Soc.A