Oceans quickly warming, climate scientists warn
After a full year of rapidly rising ocean temperatures, data now shows a new temperature record has been broken every day, more evidence that nearly 90% of rising global temperatures are occurring in the world’s oceans, according to NASA scientists.
Ocean warming is both caused by, and leads to higher global temperatures. Worsening greenhouse gas levels are not allowing heat to escape from the Earth’s surface, which the oceans then absorb. Since 1955, the year record keeping of ocean temperatures began, ocean heat has increased about 96%.
A study published last year found that most of Earth’s excess heat was going into the oceans at astonishing rates.
“There’s a really urgent need to understand this because if it’s part of a long-term trend, this is really highly concerning,” said Karina von Schuckmann, co-author of the study.
According to NASA, the last 10 years led to the highest temperatures in the worlds’ oceans since at least the 1800s, but 2023 was the warmest year yet recorded. And warmer waters, though they are enjoyable to swim in, are not something humans should ignore otherwise. The heat that is trapped on Earth’s surface and absorbed by the ocean causes the water to expand, which leads to a rise in sea levels. Anywhere from one-third to one-half of global sea level rising is due to oceans soaking up the heat.
Scientists have said that El Niño, the climate pattern in which surface temperatures of the eastern Pacific waters rise above normal, has enhanced the degree to which the ocean is warming, but the temperatures skyrocketed so much before El Niño even developed that scientists are alarmed.
Ocean warming also contributes to coral bleaching, major ice sheets melting at faster rates, more severe hurricanes, changes in ocean health and biochemistry, and other extreme weather such as scorching heat waves and intense rainfall.
California and the rest of the West Coast experienced a long cycle of atmospheric rivers this winter, fueled by El Niño
and ocean warming. Cities like San Diego saw heavy flooding, power outages, mudslides and more from just one atmospheric river. Mountainous areas received several feet of snow and ice. Ocean warming also gives storms more moisture and the opportunity to last longer and be more intense, as the U.S. saw with Hurricane Ida.
And researchers have documented changes in the migration patterns, geographic range and behaviors of some animals. Sean Birkel, the Maine state climatologist, previously told USA TODAY that analysis of long-term records is necessary to identify climate trends since temperature naturally varies from day to day due to weather.
“From near-surface temperature observations measured worldwide, scientists have found that global climate is warmer now than it was a century ago,” Birkel said in a separate interview.
For example, New York’s average annual statewide temperature has increased by three degrees since 1970, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
Experts urge people to do their part in helping lower greenhouse gas levels and start the slow climb to lowering ocean temperatures.