Ocean Temperatures Hit a New Record
Carbon pollution increases the rise in ocean temperatures
The world's oceans, which have absorbed most of the excess heat caused by humanity's carbon pollution, continued to see record - breaking temperatures last year, according to research. The oceans usually absorb over 90% percent of the heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn protects land surfaces, but has a devastating effect on marine life.
A study conducted by researchers from China, the US, Italy and New Zealand, said that 2022 was "the hottest year ever recorded in the world's oceans". Heat content in the oceans exceeded the previous year's levels by around 10 Zetta joules—equivalent to 100 times the electricity generation worldwide in 2021, according to the authors.
The co - author of the study, Michael Mann, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania said: "The oceans are absorbing most of the heating from human carbon emissions, until we reach net zero emissions, that heating will continue, and we'll continue to break ocean heat content records, as we did this year. Better awareness and understanding of the oceans are a basis for the actions to combat climate change."
The records dating back to the late 1950s show a steady, yet relentless, rise in ocean temperatures and scientists have warned that climbing temperatures have brought on serious changes to ocean stability faster than it was previously thought.
The fifth warmest year
The research, published in the journal Advances in Athmpospheric Sciences, was based on observations from 24 scientists across 16 institutes worldwide. It also found other indications suggesting that ocean health is deteriorating. It is not only the temperatures of the world's oceans that are on the rise. Increasing water temperatures and ocean salinity are also at an all - time high which directly contributes to a process of "stratification", where water separates into layers that no longer mix.
This has wide - ranging implications because it affects the exchange of heat, oxygen and carbon between the ocean and atmosphere, with effects including a loss of oxygen in the ocean. "Deoxygenation itself is a nightmare for not only marine life and ecosystems but also for humans and our terrestrial ecosystems," the researchers said in a statement. Updated data released this week showed that average global atmospheric temperatures across 2022 made it the fifth warmest year since records began in the 19th century, according to Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Countries across the world have faced a cascade of unprecedented natural disasters made more likely and deadly by climate. Droughts, which lead to more wildfires and massive floods brought on by heavy rainfall are mostly caused by increased evaporation of the ever - warming oceans.