Change in ocean salinity due to climate change

The Australian scientists have studied global ocean salinity and have concluded that there is a clear change in ocean salinity that will cause acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle.

According to scientists the water cycle has strengthened by 4% from 1950-2000, a twice as much as predicted by current global climate models. They have concluded this by studying the relationship between salinity, rainfall and evaporation in climate models.

Dr Paul Durack from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory says that „these changes (ocean salinity and water cycle) suggest that arid regions have become drier and high rainfall regions have become wetter in response to observed global warming."

If the global temperatures continue to rise they will accelerate water cycle even further, for instance the global temperature increase of 3ºC by the end of the century should accelerate water cycle by staggering 24%, causing more droughts and floods.

Why are these changes in global water cycle important? Dr Durack said that these changes will affect food availability, stability, access and utilization.

Oceans play extremely important role in global climate. They not only receive around 80% of the total surface rainfall but are also the most important carbon sinkers, preventing in the process even stronger climate change impact.