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Earth’s water cycle speeding up because of Climate ChangeAccording to a recent study, this could result in stronger rainstorms and faster melting ice caps.
Climate scientists predict that global temperatures will rise, leading to an increase in the amount of water evaporating from the oceans and seas.
This will make top layer of sea saltier, and add water in the atmosphere as vapour.
This will lead to more rainfall in other parts the world, which in turn will dilute some bodies of water and make them less salty.
This acceleration in the water cycle could have devastating effects on modern society. It could lead to drought and water shortages, as well as more severe storms and flooding.
Estrella Oledo, the principal author of the study, stated that the acceleration of the water cycle had implications at the ocean as well as on the continent. This could lead to more intense storms.
“This increased water circulation in the atmosphere could also explain why there is more rain in certain polar regions, where it is raining rather than snowing. This is accelerating the melting.
Map showing the average salinity of the seas and oceans around the world for the period 2011-2018
The acceleration of water cycle could have devastating effects on modern society. It could lead to drought and water shortages, as well as more storms and flooding.
To carry out the study, researchers at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona analysed ocean surface salinity data – which is measured by satellites.
Understanding ocean salinity, which is one of the key factors in understanding global weather, is crucial.
This circulation is dependent on water density, which can be affected by temperature and salinity.
These two parameters can have important impacts on the global environment, even if they are small. Therefore, it is crucial to closely monitor them.
Researchers were able to detect stratification in large areas of the ocean using satellite data.
Stratification refers the division of water column into layers with different densities. It is caused by temperature or salinity differences or both.
‘We have been able to see that surface salinity is showing an intensification of the water cycle that subsurface salinity does not,’ said Olmedo.
“Specifically, we have noticed that the Pacific has a slower rate of surface salinity declines than the subsurface saltiness and that we have also seen an increase in sea-surface temperature in this same region.
The study also suggests that the acceleration of water cycle could be caused by a decrease in wind speed in certain areas of the ocean.
This is because wind creates waves that help to stir up different layers in the water column.
Antonio Turiel, another author, stated that “where the wind is not as strong, the surface waters warm up, but doesn’t exchange heat with water below, allowing for the surface to become saliner than the lower layers.”
“This shows us that the atmosphere is more interconnected than we thought, which has important implications for the polar and continental areas.”
Chart compares ocean salinity in between 60°S and 60°N as measured by the satellite (black), model (pink) and annual climatology (grey) averaged over the entire region
The global water cycle, which is the constant movement and exchange of freshwater between clouds, land, and oceans, plays an important role within our daily lives.
The findings, published in the journal Scientific ReportsThese are the results of the ICM-CSIC’s use of algorithms and other data analysis tools generated from the SMOS mission of the European Space Agency.
Unlike subsurface salinity data – which is measured in situ using ocean buoys – the satellite data allows the researchers to analyse the effect of stratification over very large regions in the ocean.
This is due to satellites’ ability to continuously measure data, regardless of environmental conditions or the accessibility to different areas of the ocean.
‘Ocean models must standardise the assimilation of satellite salinity data, since the information they provide complements in situ data,’ said Turiel.
“This is critical, especially in the current climate crisis, when changes are occurring faster than ever before.
Recent climate models predictEarth’s water cycle could get seven times more intense for every degree Celsius increase in temperature.
This means that areas with high levels of moisture could be seven percent more humid than those with lower levels. Dry areas would be seven percent less.
Global warming must be controlled if we want to avoid heatwaves and droughts in the future.
A recent study by the University of Melbourne, Australia, and the International Energy Agency, Paris, France found that the following: COP26 pledge to keep warming below 3.6ºF is still achievable, but only if all commitments are implemented as proposed.
A recent study by the University of Melbourne, Australia, and the International Energy Agency, Paris, France found that the following: COP26 pledge to keep warming below 3.6ºF is still achievable, but only if all commitments are implemented as proposed.
However, the more ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement – to keep warming to 2.7°F (1.5°C) or below – has only a 6-10 per cent chance of being achieved, they say.
Meanwhile, the most recent report from the International Panel on Climate Change estimates that if we can keep global warming to 2 °C, extreme weather events will be 14 percent stronger than they were at the start of the Industrial Revolution.
