Scientists are so alarmed by the new study on ocean warming that some have refused to speak about it on the record. BBC reported on Tuesday.
“One person spoke of being ‘extremely concerned and completely stressed,'” the outlet reported, citing a scientist who was contacted about the research published in the journal. Earth System Science Data On April 17, the study warned that the ocean is warming faster than experts had previously realized—creating a greater risk for sea level rise, extreme weather and damage to marine ecosystems.
Scientists from institutions including Mercator Ocean International in France, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research collaborated to find that the planet has accumulated as much heat in the last 15 years as it did in the previous 45 years. Over the years, most of the excess heat has been absorbed by the oceans.
In March, researchers examining the ocean off the east coast of North America found that the water surface was 13.8°C, or 14.8°F, warmer than the average temperature between 1981 and 2011.
The study notes that the rapid decline in shipping-related pollution may be behind the most recent warming, as fuel regulations introduced in 2020 by the International Maritime Organization reduced heat-reflecting aerosol particles in the atmosphere and made the ocean more absorbent. Energy
But that doesn’t account for average global ocean surface temperatures rising 0.9°C from pre-industrial levels, with 0.6°C over the past four decades.
The study presents “one of those ‘sit down and read very carefully’ moments,” the former said BBC Science Editor David Schuckman.
Lead author of the study said Karina von Schuckman of Mercator Ocean International BBC That “it is not yet well established why such a rapid change, and why such a great change is taking place.”
“We’ve doubled the warming in the climate system over the last 15 years, I don’t want to say whether this is climate change, or natural variability or a combination of the two, we don’t know yet,” she said. “But we see this change.”
Scientists have consistently warned that the planet, including the oceans, is warming due to the continued burning of fossil fuels by humans. Warmer oceans can lead to more glaciers melting—in turn weakening ocean currents that carry warm water around the world and supporting the global food chain—as well as more intense hurricanes and tropical storms, ocean acidification, and sea level rise due to thermal expansion. .
A study published earlier this year also found that rising ocean temperatures along with higher levels of salinity lead to “stratification” of the oceans, and in turn, loss of oxygen in the water.
“Deoxygenation is a nightmare not only for marine life and ecosystems, but also for humans and our terrestrial ecosystems,” researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in January. “Decreasing marine diversity and displacing important species can wreak havoc on fishing-dependent communities and their economies, and can affect the way most people are able to interact with their environment.”
Recent years have seen an unusual warming trend as a strong El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—a naturally occurring phenomenon that warms the oceans and reverses the cooling effect of La Niña—is expected to form in the coming months. Impact of last three years.
Potsdam Institute for Climate Research Dr. “If the new El Niño reaches its peak, we will have an additional global warming of 0.2-0.25 degrees Celsius,” said Joseph Ludescher. BBC.
The world’s oceans are a critical tool for moderating climate, as they absorb heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases.
The warming has raised concern among scientists that “as more heat is lost to the ocean, the water may become less able to store the excess energy,” BBC informed.
Climate experts worry about new findings, said The global climate action movement Extinction Rebellion, touts that “scientists are just people with lives and families who have learned to better understand the implications of the data.”
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