Ocean warming

A new study finds that ocean warming has almost doubled since 2005 as global temperatures rise because of human activities. This ocean warming can bleach coral, melt glaciers, and raise the sea level. And, as water warms up, it releases more oxygen and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. According to a report from the EU climate monitor Copernicus, ocean warming continues to increase globally and that rates of change have doubled in the past two decades. Oceans cover 70 per cent of the earth’s surface and act as a major regulator of the climate. It is estimated that the world's oceans absorbed more than 13 zetta joules of heat energy each year between 1991 and 2016. This is about 150 times more energy than humans produce as electricity in a year.

Researchers say warmer oceans can fuel storms, like hurricanes and severe weather by shaping global weather patterns and extreme marine heatwaves, the lowest sea ice was recorded in 2023 in the world’s polar regions. We humans are responsible for these changes and need to urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions to reverse catastrophic ocean warming.

Asif Thebo

Dadu