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6. Salinity and Precipitation

The map below shows the global distribution of the difference between the annual amount of precipitation (P) and evaporation (E),

or

P - E

This balance is influenced by the temperature and amount of water vapor in the atmosphere in a particular region.

Used with Permission of Matthias Tomczak ©Copyright 1997

The color scale of P-E, located at the bottom of the map, is given in centimeters per year (cm/yr) with reddish colors indicating more precipitation than evaporation , whereas blue to green colors indicate more evaporation than precipitation.

Notice the subtle difference in color between the dark purple (>250 cm/year), dark blue (-100 to -150 cm/year) and black (more negative than -150 cm/year).

By examining the P-E values in the map above at which latitude ranges  would you expect to find:

  1. the high salinity waters in the surface of the ocean?

  2. the low salinity sea water along the ocean surface?

©Copyright 1999
March 13, 1999

Send to Don Reed
Department of Geology
San Jose State University

#4 What influences the annual amount of precipitation and evaporation?

a) Temperature.
b) Water Vapor in the Atmosphere.
c) Salinity in the ocean.
d) All of the above.
e) a and b