biostudies-literatureUnknown5Du YA contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004-2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity changScientific reports16050https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4629206biostudies-literatureDecadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s.PMC4629206Feng MZhang YWang TWijffels SZhang NDu YfalseDecadal trends of the upper ocean salinity in the tropical Indo-Pacific since mid-1990s.A contrasting trend pattern of sea surface salinity (SSS) between the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and the southeastern tropical Indian Ocean (SETIO) is observed during 2004-2013, with significant salinity increase in the WTP and freshening in the SETIO. In this study, we show that increased precipitation around the Maritime Continent (MC), decreased precipitation in the western-central tropical Pacific, and ocean advection processes contribute to the salinity trends in the region. From a longer historical record, these salinity trends started in the mid-1990s, a few years before the Global Warming Hiatus from 1998 to present. The salinity trends are associated a strengthening trend of the Walker Circulation over the tropical Indo-Pacific, which have reversed the long-term salinity chang2015-01-01T00:00:00Z2015 Nov2025-04-19T06:15:02.045Z2019-03-27T02:01:09ZS-EPMC46292062652216810.1038/srep16050