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A change in the freshwater balance of the Atlantic Ocean over the past four decades

Author

Listed:
  • Ruth Curry

    (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

  • Bob Dickson

    (Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science)

  • Igor Yashayaev

    (Bedford Institute of Oceanography)

Abstract

The oceans are a global reservoir and redistribution agent for several important constituents of the Earth's climate system, among them heat, fresh water and carbon dioxide. Whereas these constituents are actively exchanged with the atmosphere, salt is a component that is approximately conserved in the ocean. The distribution of salinity in the ocean is widely measured, and can therefore be used to diagnose rates of surface freshwater fluxes1, freshwater transport2 and local ocean mixing3—important components of climate dynamics. Here we present a comparison of salinities on a long transect (50° S to 60° N) through the western basins of the Atlantic Ocean between the 1950s and the 1990s. We find systematic freshening at both poleward ends contrasted with large increases of salinity pervading the upper water column at low latitudes. Our results extend a growing body of evidence indicating that shifts in the oceanic distribution of fresh and saline waters are occurring worldwide in ways that suggest links to global warming and possible changes in the hydrologic cycle of the Earth.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruth Curry & Bob Dickson & Igor Yashayaev, 2003. "A change in the freshwater balance of the Atlantic Ocean over the past four decades," Nature, Nature, vol. 426(6968), pages 826-829, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:426:y:2003:i:6968:d:10.1038_nature02206
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02206
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    Cited by:

    1. Sveltana Vlady, 2015. "The Effect of Climate Change on Australian Stock Equity Returns," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(3), pages 88-109.
    2. María del Pilar García Pachón, Editora, 2020. "Lecturas sobre Derecho del Medio Ambiente Tomo XX," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1218.
    3. Sara Berglund & Kristofer Döös & Sjoerd Groeskamp & Trevor J. McDougall, 2022. "The downward spiralling nature of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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