Salinity settles it

I've been watching for more than a week, and there has not been one skeptical/denier response to the new paper showing an accelerating water cycle due to global warming.  I have a good idea as to why there hasn't been any attempt at a refutation on this one.

Simple:  because they can't.  The data are straight up and simple.  There aren't any other explanations that fit them.   So, my next question is -- will they admit it?

I doubt it.

Saltier oceans set scene for changes

"As the Earth's atmosphere warms, its capacity to hold and transport moisture increases. Ocean salinity is determined by rainfall and evaporation at the ocean surface, and the study has found these patterns are changing with high rainfall ocean areas becoming less saline and drier ocean regions becoming saltier.

The study estimated the increase in atmospheric moisture occurring for every degree of warming was slightly more than 7 per cent.

''So, with a projected temperature rise of three degrees by the end of the century, we estimate a 24 per cent acceleration of the water cycle is possible,'' he said.

The paper's lead author, Paul Durack, said by analysing salinity changes and the relationship between salinity, rainfall and evaporation, the research team was able to determine the world's water cycle had strengthened by 4 per cent over 50 years. This was twice as fast as predicted by current climate models."

So I guess the skeptic/denier crowd could say that the models aren't quite right about this -- but that's scant comfort.  Especially since this scientific result means that our warming world will have more droughts and more floods.