NASA scientists are trying to quantify the salinity of the oceans with a new satellite. The greater the salinity of the water, the greater the density. Dense water sinks. Cold water sinks. As water freezes in the poles, the salt is left in the unfrozen water below, leaving it more saline and colder - sinking down into deep currents to well up again closer to the equator.
This new satellite will measure surface salinity. Deeper water will require droves of semi-autonomous un-manned vehicles traveling below the surface and will take many, many years to gather useful data.
Here's why I think it is so important: The oceans cover over three-quarters of the earth, making them the largest factor, except for the sun, to climate balance. Whether or not the climate system is sensitive or stable, more data is needed to make a scientific case.
We cannot yet make good weather predictions for more than three days or so, yet there are big players holding big purses who believe in global warming - including the ones for this satellite - and every major project now seems to have climate change in its vocabulary.
Science is suffering from a case of politics. The correction is truth, which is found in data - not hysteria.
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