Report: Climate Change Fuelling Rapid Ocean Warming

Facts

• In a recent international multidisciplinary study published in the journal Earth System Science Data, scientists said the world's oceans have absorbed about 89% of the planetary warming in the last 49 years.¹
• The study finds the Earth's Energy Imbalance — generated by human-induced climate change — has risen by nearly 50% between 2006 and 2020 in comparison to the amount accumulated over the last half of a decade.²
• The rapid heating of the world's oceans, warn climate experts, could add to global warming by injecting methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.³
• In addition, the rising ocean surface temperatures could foreshadow El Niño conditions, raise sea levels, and cause more intense marine heat waves by the end of 2023.⁴
• Earlier this month, climate scientists, citing preliminary data, reported that the global ocean surface temperatures reached 21.1°C — beating the previous high of 21.0°C recorded in 2016.⁵
• With the expected arrival of El Niño later this year, some scientists predict that Earth could reach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024 — surpassing the previous hottest year recorded in 2016.⁶

Sources: ¹Copernicus, ²World Meteorological Organization, ³Downtoearth, ⁴BBC News, ⁵Guardian and ⁶ITN.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by INQUIRER.net. The study adds to the huge body of evidence that, unless more is done to curb our greenhouse gas emissions, increasing ocean temperatures could cause marine heat waves, a higher risk of extreme weather, and ocean acidification. The ocean has long taken the brunt of the impacts of human-made global warming. For too long, it has been largely absent from global policy conversations on climate change. Since the clock is ticking, now is the time to act and turn the tide.
• Narrative B, as provided by Wall Street Journal. Such studies need to be taken with more than a few grains of sea salt.   Life in the ocean is complex; we don't know much about marine life and changing conditions. Moreover, we must remember that species are resilient and have their own ways of adapting. Besides, modern-day doomsayers have predicted climate and environmental disasters for decades. None of the apocalyptic predictions have come true so far; why would this time be any different?

Predictions