Scientists sound the alarm: oceans are warming at record levels, land is under threat
In 2024, the oceans are at record high temperatures - accelerating warming is worsening weather conditions and putting ecosystems at risk. What are the threats ahead?
January 25, 2025 18:43
The deepest layers of the oceans are also affected
A recently published study reveals that ocean temperatures will reach record levels in 2024.
In other words, it was the hottest ocean year on record, affecting not only surface temperatures but also the deepest layers up to 2 000 metres.
The study was led by Professor Lijing Cheng from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who brought together a team of 54 scientists from 7 countries.
Why are oceans so important?
The oceans are a very important part of the Earth's climate.
Most of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the oceans (90%), which cover 70% of the Earth's surface. The oceans cover 90% of the Earth's surface.
Survey results
The three international teams collaborating on this project have converged on the results: the oceans are warming, with record temperatures in 2024.
From 2023 to 2024, the increase in the global heat content of the upper 2000m ocean is 16 zettajoules (1021 joules). That is, about 140 times the amount of electricity generated globally in 2023.
Ocean surface temperatures are also setting records. Surface temperature refers to the temperature just at the surface, where ocean waters and the atmosphere converge.
Surface temperature is important because it determines how quickly heat and moisture can move from the ocean to the air, affecting the weather.
The rise in surface temperatures since the late 1950s has been dramatic.
As a result, the oceans determine our weather and transfer heat and moisture to the atmosphere. The oceans also determine how fast the climate changes.
"If you want to know what's happening to the climate, the answer lies in the oceans," said scientist John Abraham, one of the study's authors.
Damage from a warming world ocean
The warming of the world's oceans is affecting marine life and causing severe damage in many ways.
"The main way in which the ocean continues to influence climate is through the increase of water vapour in the atmosphere, which increases the extremes of the hydrological cycle.
Water vapour is also a powerful greenhouse gas, and increased warming leads to droughts and fire risks.
It also fuels a wide range of storms and flood hazards, including hurricanes and typhoons," said Dr. Karina von Schuckmann, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the USA.
Earlier, we wrote that 2024 marks the first time in human history that the global water cycle will be out of balance.
