Global Warming Makes Sea Less Salty

[deadparrot]

You won't want to drink water straight from the ocean anytime soon. But the salt content is on the decline, a sign of potentially worrisome consequences that scientists can't accurately predict.

Since the late 1960s, much of the North Atlantic Ocean has become less salty, in part due to increases in fresh water runoff induced by global warming, scientists say. Now for the first time researchers have quantified this fresh water influx, allowing them to predict the long-term effects on a "conveyor belt" of ocean currents.

Climate changes in the Northern Hemisphere have melted glaciers and brought more rain, dumping more fresh water into the oceans, according to the analysis.

One of the expected high-profile consequences is a rising sea that will swamp coastal communities. But there are other possible effects.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/globalwarmingmakessealesssalty

[uppityperson]

1. Reminds me of an old bad joke

about a whale.

I have noticed a huge difference in a glacier I am familiar with in the last 10 yrs, major melting.

Science question: The salt comes from water running across land, washing salts into the ocean. Is there anything about more water running and washing salts into the ocean?

[daleo]

2. I would guess the two processes work on different geologic timescales.

The recent increase in runoff from rain and meltwater would wash some more salt into the ocean, but the increase in water would be much more rapid (relatively speaking), thus declining salinity. Over a long enough time scale there would probably be an evening out. But that won't help human beings much in the present.

[uppityperson]

4. That makes sense, evaporation bit over time

Helping humans, no. Sometimes I wish I did not believe humanity were doomed. Actually many times, much of the time. (Even if I believe so, I still work to make it not so.)

[Up2Late]

5. Melt water washing salts into the ocean is a Tiny problem...

...compaired to the Land based glacier water melting and dumping into the Seas. This is THE major problem.

If the Gulf Stream or the other ocean currents stop or reverse, the resulting climate change would be devastating.

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. They figure that this caused the last ice age...

An ice dam breaking and allowing a huge inland lake over north america to flood into the north atlantic, diluting and stopping the Gulf Stream.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

8. Question for you:

Can you tell me - who is the "they" to which you refer?

[ToeBot]

9. ...

http://www.gulfstreamshutdown.com/

[Up2Late]

10. That sounds about right.

Probably when the the Ice sheets melted to north of the St. Lawrence River, draining the Great Lakes to about the size they are today.

[gumby]

3. Breaking news?

That question is directed at the media.

I'm a dummy and even I've known about this for quite a while. Maybe I got this information from watching that biased PBS or something.

The disruption of the "conveyor belt" is indeed disturbing.

[Moderator]

7. Kick

:kick: