Warming Is Seen in Oceans’ Saltiness
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From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Tropical ocean waters have become dramatically saltier over the last 40 years, while oceans closer to Earth’s poles have become fresher, scientists reported in the current issue of Nature. Earth’s warming surface may be intensifying evaporation over oceans in the low latitudes -- raising salinity concentrations there -- and transporting more fresh-water vapor via the atmosphere toward Earth’s poles, they said.
This suggests that recent climate changes may be altering the fundamental planetary system that regulates evaporation and precipitation and cycles fresh water around the globe. The scientists estimated net evaporation rates over the tropical Atlantic have increased by 5% to 10% in the last 40 years.
