Oceans are warmer than ever, analysis shows

The analysis, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences magazine (🇬🇧), used temperature data collected by a variety of instruments in the oceans and combined separate analyzes by Chinese and American teams to calculate the warming.

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More than 90% of the excess heat retained by greenhouse emissions greenhouse gases is absorbed into oceans. Records from 1958 onwards show a constant increase in ocean temperature, with warming accelerating after 1990.

Sea surface temperatures greatly influence the planet’s climate. Oceans Warmer temperatures help fuel extreme weather, leading to catastrophic hurricanes and typhoons and more moisture in the air, which causes intense rain and flooding. Warmer water also expands, raising sea levels and putting coastal cities at risk.

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Professor John Abraham, from the University of St Thomas in Minnesota and part of the study team, told the British newspaper The Guardian: “Measuring the oceans is the most accurate way to determine how out of balance our planet is. We are having more extreme weather because of the warming of the oceans and this has tremendous consequences around the world.” (The Guardian*)

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According to the study, the oceans absorbed about 10 zettajoules more heat in 2022 than in 2021, which would be equivalent to every person on Earth using 40 hair dryers all day, every day.