This study aimed to obtain the monthly mean fields of precipitable water and monthly fields of anomaly
precipitable water for the year 2008. These fields were obtained using the software GRADS, using reanalysis
data from NCEP/NCAR. The anomalies were obtained by the difference between precipitable water of the month
and the climatological average for the period 1958 to 2009.This type of information has great applicability in
environmental remote sensing to atmospheric correction, modeling the balance of solar radiation and land in the
amount of energy intercepted by the water vapor in the atmosphere, in the assessing the availability of solar
energy to the surface in evaluation of heat flows latent and sensible to the surface and in the recycling of water.
The results reveal important aspects of the general circulation of the atmosphere and the action of weather
systems in South America.
