2016 SoE Marine Chapter - Pressures - Climate Change - Ocean salinity

Brief description

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "Pressures on the marine environment associated with climate change - oceanic dissolved oxygen and oxygen minimum zones in shelf and offshore regions". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record. ---------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE Surface ocean salinity is largely reflective of the exchange of freshwater with the atmosphere, with areas of high surface salinity found in regions where evaporation exceeds precipitation. Subduction of water from the ocean surface to the oceans interior transports surface salinity, resulting in salinity distributions of the oceans interior also reflecting surface rates of evaporation and precipitation. Melting and freezing of sea ice and glaciers also contributes to ocean salinity. Changes to salinity that may be driven by climate change have the potential to affect ocean circulation and stratification and contribute to sea level change. DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT Published papers and reports on ocean salinity and climate change. Details of the specific data sets used to generate this assessment have not been provided. ---------------------------------------- 2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details] • 2016 • Assessment grade: Low impact Assessment trend: Deteriorating Confidence grade: Adequate high quality evidence or high level of consensus Confidence trend: Adequate high quality evidence or high level of consensus Comparability: Grade and trend are not comparable to the 2011 assessment • 2011 • Assessment grade: Very good Assessment trend: Stable Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus ---------------------------------------- CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT Ocean salinity was assessed under state and trends of physical and chemical processes and discussed in the text in terms of the pressure climate change.

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Statement: QUALITY OF DATA USED IN THE ASSESSMENT Publications have been peer-reviewed.

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Purpose
To describe the pressures on the marine environment associated with climate change and ocean salinity for use in the Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment report.