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 canŐt 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.