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Precipitation

Precipitation as we know it from our daily life comes in two different forms: Rain and snow. From the oceanographic point of view, precipitation is an important factor, because it introduces freshwater into the surface layer of the ocean. Ocean water is usually salty which makes a gallon of ocean water heavier than a gallon of freshwater. Rain on the ocean reduces the density of the surface, in other words it makes it lighter, compared to the layers below it. The consequences of that are noticeable throughout the entire world ocean. Regions that get a lot of rain like the equator and also the latitudes from Washington State to southeast Alaska have noticeable lower salinity in the ocean than dry regions around subtropics like Hawaii or southern California. Precipitation has by far a bigger job than watering the garden; it has important effects on the global ocean (link) and atmospheric (link) circulation.

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