According to US government data, the temperature of the world's ocean surface has reached an all-time high since satellite records began, causing marine heat waves around the planet.
According to climate scientists, early data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) suggest that the average temperature at the ocean's surface has been at 21.1 degrees Celsius since the beginning of April, surpassing the previous high of 21 degrees Celsius established in 2016. "The current trajectory appears to be heading off the charts, smashing previous records," said Prof Matthew England of the University of New South Wales.
Three years of La Nina conditions in the wide tropical Pacific have aided in cooling temperatures and dampening the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions. However, scientists reported that heat was rising to the ocean surface, indicating the possibility of an El Nino pattern developing in the tropical Pacific later this year, which could enhance the danger of extreme weather conditions and further challenge global heat records. "The recent 'triple dip' La Nina has ended," stated Dr. Mike McPhaden, a senior research scientist at Noaa. Despite the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, this protracted cold spell was lowering world mean surface temperatures.
Dr. Alex Sen Gupta, an associate professor at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, stated that satellite data showed that temperature rises on the ocean surface have been "almost linear" since the 1980s. "What's been surprising is that the last three years have also been extremely warm, despite La Nina conditions," he said. "However, it is now even warmer, with what appears to record temperatures." Sen Gupta is a member of an international team of scientists studying marine heatwaves, which his organization defines as an area of the ocean with temperatures in the top 10% ever recorded for that time of year for at least five days in a row.
Current observations suggest moderate to strong marine heatwaves in various places, including the southern Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic, off the coast of North Africa, surrounding New Zealand, off the coast of Australia's northeast, and off the coast of Central America's west.
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