Oceans Are Warming Faster and Faster as the Earth Traps More Energy
(Bloomberg) —
The world’s oceans are warming four times faster than they were in the late 1980s, according to a new study. The alarming acceleration helps explain why 2023 and 2024 saw unprecedented ocean temperatures — and more extreme storms.
The findings have enormous ramifications for ocean health, as rising temperatures impact everything from coral reefs to fisheries. The longer-term knock-on impacts are even more concerning, including higher sea levels, more extreme storms, and more frequent and severe fires, said Christopher Merchant, lead author of the study, which was published in Environmental Research Letters on Tuesday.
“With climate change, it’s the oceans that set the pace,” said Merchant, an ocean and Earth observation scientist at the University of Reading. The new research shows ocean temperatures in the next 20 years could rise more than in the past 40 years “by a significant margin.” Unless meaningful steps are taken to cut emissions and wind down fossil fuel use, Merchant said, “I expect that the climate change that’s coming will be at the high end of wh…
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