Global warming intensifies imbalances in ocean salinity - 29 Apr 2010  
email to friend  Maila detta till en Vän    Print

In data collected from more than 460,000 oceanic readings, a first-ever assessment of overall ocean salinity conducted by Australian scientists has found that global warming is leading to certain ocean regions becoming more salt-concentrated, while others are more diluted with fresh water.

Increases in surface water temperature cause more water to be evaporated from some areas, which is then transferred to other regions and released as water in the form of rain or snow.

Researchers Dr. Susan Wijffels and Paul Durack of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) found that the geographic areas most affected by evaporation were subtropical oceans like the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic, while tropical and higher latitude waters were becoming more diluted through additional precipitation.

Moreover, measurements made below the water’s surface indicate that these changes in salinity are extending into deep ocean currents, with the scientists stating that the effect on human lives could be far-reaching as already-dry regions become dryer, and areas that receive high amounts of rainfall are even more inundated.

Our thanks, Dr. Wijffels, Mr. Durack and fellow Australian scientists for your detailed assessment that reveals this widespread effect of climate change.

May we heed the warning signs of such large-scale disturbances and act swiftly to stabilize our ecosystems. At a May 2009 videoconference in Togo, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke, as on previous occasions, of the vital importance of restoring balance to the world’s oceans.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: From the oceans themselves, we are seeing warming temperatures, rising sea levels, increasing acidification and terrible levels of pollution. So global warming is affecting the oceans.

More than two-thirds of the planet is covered by oceans. They provide half of the world’s oxygen and play a major part in regulating the global climate.

So, life on Earth truly depends very much on the ocean for survival.I am eager as you are, and can’t wait to see the day when we all become vegan, that is, before it is too late.

The planet will begin repairing itself in astonishing ways that scientists would be surprised.

The oceans will be healed as the rainfall and temperature begin to regulate themselves again, and produce restored balance.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/ocean-saltiness-shows-global-warming-is-intensifying-our-water-
cycle.php
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/04/16/ocean.salinities.show.intensified.water.cycle  
http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article399023.ece  
http://www.csiro.au/