Earth in hot water? Worries over sudden ocean warming spike
- Global average ocean sea surface temperature jumped nearly two-tenths of a degree Celsius since early March
- Some researchers link it partly to a brewing El Nino, the natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide
The world’s oceans have suddenly spiked much hotter and well above record levels in the last few weeks, with scientists trying to figure out what it means and whether it forecasts a surge in atmospheric warming.
Some researchers think the jump in sea surface temperatures stems from a brewing and possibly strong natural El Nino warming weather condition plus a rebound from three years of a cooling La Nina, all on top of steady global warming that is heating deeper water below.
If that is the case, they said, record-breaking ocean temperatures this month could be the first in many heat records to shatter.
From early March to this week, the global average ocean sea surface temperature jumped nearly two-tenths of a degree Celsius (0.36 Fahrenheit), according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyser, which climate scientists use and trust.
That may sound small, but for the average of the world’s oceans – which is 71 per cent of Earth’s area – to rise so much in that short a time, “that is huge,” said University of Colorado climate scientist Kris Karnauskas. “That’s an incredible departure from what was already a warm state to begin with.”
Climate scientists have been talking about the warming on social media and among themselves. Some, like University of Pennsylvania’s Michael Mann, quickly dismiss concerns by saying it is merely a growing El Nino on top of a steady human-caused warming increase.