Distribution of Atmospheric Water Vapor Content over China

Based on the data of 210 ground meteorological stations over China from 1961 to 2008, an empirical relation between the ground water vapor pressure and precipitation has been discovered. Then the equations used for estimating the ground water vapor pressure based on the precipitation are developed, and thereby to derive the atmospheric water vapor content, which is one of the important parameters for astronomical site survey. The results of this study show that in different seasons, there exists a stable correlative relation between ground water vapor pressure and precipitation, the water vapor pressures calculated from the precipitation data of different areas are consistent with the local practical measurements, and that the calculated atmospheric water vapor contents correspond well to the local long-term averages.