Intensification of the hydrologic cycle is an acceleration or increase in the rates of evaporation, evapotranspiration, and precipition. In other words, some places are becoming drier while others are becoming wetter. In the ocean this is seen when salty areas get saltier and fresh areas get fresher, and the rate appears to be stronger than most models predict. An intensified water cycle could lead to more rain and flooding, extreme drought, stronger hurricanes, and an increase in heat waves.

Featured Video: An Intensification of Extremes

Resources

• An Oceanographer and the Water Cycle
  [NASA Earth Observatory]
  If one wants to find out what the water cycle is doing, one should be looking at the oceans
• Ocean Salinity Trends Show Human Fingerprint
  [Scripps Institution of Oceaongraphy]
  Like ocean temperature, variations in the last half-century are only explicable in the context of human-caused climate change
• Big Changes in Ocean Salinity Intensifying Water Cycle
  [Mother Jones]
  Rapidly changing ocean salinities as a result of a warming atmosphere have intensified the global water cycle by an incredible four percent between 1950 and 2000
• Dry Lands Getting Drier, Wet Getting Wetter...
  Science Daily
  A clear change in salinity has been detected in the world's oceans, signalling shifts and an acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle
• Earth's Water Cycle Is Intensifying, Dry Is Getting Drier and Wet Is Getting Wetter
  [Planetsave]
  The Earth's water cycle is intensifying, leading to more evaporation in dry climates and more rain in wet climates
• Aquarius Water Cycle
  [NASA]
  Aquarius uses advanced technologies to give NASA its first space-based measurements of sea surface salinity, helping scientists to improve predictions of future climate trends and events
• Water, Water Everywhere: Water Cycle & Climate Change
  [NASA Salinity]
  The water cycle affects and is affected by climate variations
• What is Aquarius Data Telling Us?
  [COSEE-Ocean Systems]
  Now that measurements of global salinity are being regularly collected by Aquarius, what type of phenomena have been observed with the data?
• What Does Sea Surface Salinity Tell Us About the Global Water Cycle?
  [COSEE-Ocean Systems]
  NASA scientists work collaboratively with educators to examine connections between the water cycle, ocean circulation, climate, and sea surface salinity
• The Water Cycle - Water Science for Schools
  [USGS]
  Earth's water is always in movement, and the natural water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth