Which of the following statements with reference to Water Vapour in the atmosphere is/are correct? 1. It has a role to play in the stability and instability in the air. 2. It acts like a blanket allowing the earth to neither become too cold nor too hot. Select the answer using the code given below:

Water vapour is a critical component of the atmosphere that influences both thermal and dynamic processes. Statement 1 is correct because water vapour contributes to atmospheric stability and instability [1]. When saturated air rises, it releases latent heat through condensation, which slows the cooling rate (wet adiabatic lapse rate) compared to dry air, thereby influencing buoyancy and convection [5]. Statement 2 is also correct as water vapour acts like a blanket [1]. It absorbs both incoming solar insolation and outgoing terrestrial radiation, preserving heat and preventing the Earth from becoming too cold or too hot [2]. As the most abundant greenhouse gas, it plays a central role in the Earth's heat budget and climate feedback mechanisms [3].

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Composition and Structure of Atmosphere > Water Vapour > p. 64
2. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 22: Vertical Distribution of Temperature > Wet Adiabatic Lapse Rate (WALR) > p. 299
3. [5] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > THE IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURE > p. 132
4. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Significance of Atmospheric Moisture > p. 326
5. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > r7.3.r. Water vapour > p. 255