Predicted changes in the water cycle differ according to the region of the planet being examined. Many scientists believe rates of evaporation will be greater than precipitation in the middle latitudes such as the United States. This could result in drier summers in these regions. Of course predicted changes in the water cycle also differ according to the climate model used. Another model includes in its assumptions the effects of sulfates.
Sulfates cause a cooling of the atmosphere.
Therefore, sulfates can decrease the effects of greenhouse gases on temperature. Models of future precipitation that include the effects of sulfates also show an increase in the amount of rain and snow. Graph courtesy of the International Panel of Climate Change. Whether or not the amount of precipitation changes, many climate models show that the timing of precipitation will change. Scientists predict that most precipitation in the future will fall during a smaller number of storms that are heavier in intensity.