Research Spotlight: Identifying oceanic sources of continental precipitation

Abstract

Ninety percent of water that evaporates from the oceans precipitates back to the oceans. The remaining 10% is transported to the continents and plays an important role in the land branch of the hydrological cycle. Studies have suggested that rising global temperatures will lead to increased evaporation and precipitation, altering the hydrological cycle. To identify regions that will be vulnerable to these changes in the hydrological cycle, Gimeno et al. used a model to detect major oceanic moisture source areas and the continental regions significantly influenced by each moisture source.