There are two main effects associated with
climate change:
(1) An increase in global mean temperature,
which we have discussed already.
(2) An increase in evaporation
everywhere, driven by increased greenhouse gas
concentrations and increased temperatures.
The increase in evaporation also implies an increase in
precipitation, because the atmosphere can’t store water
vapor indefinitely. There is no clear consensus on how
the increase in precipitation will be distributed. However, we do know that it will not be distributed
uniformly. This increase in evaporation
and precipitation is known as the intensification
of the hydrologic cycle.