Raman spectroscopy is employed to study vibrational and orientational
relaxation of sulfite ions in aqueous solutions at temperatures rangin
g from 293 to 363 K. It is shown that the basic mechanism of vibration
al relaxation is vibrational dephasing. Interaction between cations an
d anions reduces the time of vibrational relaxation. Sulfite ion reori
entation is shown to occur via hopping diffusion without rupture of io
n-molecular hydrogen bonds.