Sea temperatures were highest in 2020

Even with the small COVID-19-related decline in global carbon emissions due to limited travel and other activities, ocean temperatures followed a trend of record-breaking in 2020. A new study, an author with 20 people- science from 13 institutes around the world, account. highest ocean temperature since 1955 from surface level to depth of 2,000 meters.

The report was published on 13 January in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences and concluded by appealing to policymakers and others to consider the lasting damage that warmer oceans can cause as they seek to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“More than 90% of the extra heat caused by global warming is absorbed by the oceans, so ocean warming is a direct indicator of global warming – the warming we measured gives picture of long-term global warming, “said Lijing Cheng, lead paper author and associate professor of the International Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences at the Atmospheric Physics Institute (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP). CAS). Cheng is also affiliated with the CAS Center for Ocean Mega-Science. “However, as a result of the delayed ocean response to global warming, ocean change trends will last for at least several decades, so societies need to adapt to the inevitable effects of our unchanged warming. But there is still time to take action and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “

Using a method developed at IAP / CAS, the researchers measured ocean temperatures and ocean salinity down to 2,000 meters with data derived from all available observations from various measuring instruments from Source. World Ocean Data, which is managed by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. and the National Center for Environmental Information.

They found that, in 2020, the world’s 2,000 highest meters of oceans caught 20 more Zettajoules than in 2019. That heat could boil 1.3 billion kettles, each with 1.5 liter of water.

“Why isn’t the ocean boiling?” Cheng asked. “Because the ocean is big. We can imagine how much energy the ocean can absorb and absorb, and, when it is slowly released, how big the ocean is. effect. “

The researchers reported other effects, such as an increase in the pattern of marine salinity and increased stratification due to the warming of the high altitudes faster than the deeper sections. Both changes have the potential to damage marine ecosystems.

“The new grows fresher; the sour becomes saltier,” Cheng said. “The ocean emits a lot of global warming heat, affecting global warming. However, the associated ocean changes are also a major threat to human and natural systems.”

Cheng noted the 2020 wildfires that affected Australia, parts of the Amazon region, and the west coast of the United States.

“Warmer seas and warmer atmospheres and also encourage more intense waterfalls in all storms, and especially toes, increase the risk of flooding,” said Cheng. “Extreme fires like those seen in 2020 will become more common in the future. Warmer oceans produce more powerful storms, especially typhoons and hurricanes. “

The researchers will continue to monitor ocean temperatures and the effects of warming on other oceanic features, such as salinity and stratification.

“As more countries pledge to achieve ‘carbon neutrality’ or ‘zero carbon’ in the coming decades, special attention should be paid to the ocean,” said Cheng. “Any action or agreements needed to address warming the globalization of the understanding that the ocean has already absorbed heat and will continue to absorb too much energy into the Earth ‘s system until atmospheric carbon levels fall dramatically. “

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Other authors include John Abraham of St. Thomas University School of Engineering in Minnesota; Kevin E. Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado; Jiang Zhu and Viktor Gouretski of the IAP CAS International Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences and the CAS Center for Mega Ocean Science; John Fasullo of the National Center for Atmospheric Research; Tim Boyer and Ricardo Locarnini from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Bin Zhang of CAS Center for Ocean Mega-Science and CAS Institute of Marine Science; Fujiang Yu, Liyang Wan and Xingrong Chen, all of which are together with the National Marine Environment Preview Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China; Xiangzhou Song College of Marine Science Hohai University; Yulong Liu of the National Marine Data and Information Service; Michael E. Mann, with the Department of Meteorology & Atmospheric Science at Pennsylvania State University; Franco Reseghetti of the Italian National Group for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development at the S.Teresa Research Center; Simona Simoncelli of the Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia; and Gengxin Chen of the CAS China Marine Science Institute.

This work was supported by China National Principal Research and Development Program, China Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program, Center for Ocean Science Mega-Research Major Separation Project, US National Science Foundation and US National Aeronautics and Space Administration .