Tag

Marine Heatwaves

All articles tagged with #marine heatwaves

climate11 days ago•8 min saved

Global Ocean Heat Reaches Record as El Niño Strengthens

Global ocean surface temperatures outside polar regions reached 21.1C (70F), the hottest on record, driven by El Niño atop decades of human-caused warming. Measurements from buoys, ships and satellites show a narrow margin above previous records, with El Niño expected to strengthen further and possibly push the record higher again in the coming years. Warmer seas can fuel extreme weather, raise sea levels and harm marine life, with widespread marine heatwaves and notable warmth around Europe.

via BBC|

#climate #climate-change #el-nino

environment11 days ago•3 min saved

Record ocean heat hits new high as El Niño accelerates warming

Global ocean surface temperatures reached a record August average of 21.1C, boosted by a strong El Niño atop decades of human-caused warming. The heat drives more marine heatwaves, contributes to sea‑level rise and more extreme weather, and reduces the ocean’s capacity to absorb CO2. The Arctic is warming fastest, and scientists urge rapid fossil-fuel cuts and stronger protection of marine ecosystems to safeguard coastal communities.

via The Guardian|

#climate-change #el-nino #environment

environment16 days ago•3 min saved

Warm European seas lure swimmers as ecosystems reel from warming, study finds

Europe’s oceans are warming rapidly due to climate change, adding about 2°C to the Mediterranean this summer and roughly 1.3–1.4°C to Western European waters, driving widespread marine heatwaves and ecological disruption. Species are shifting north, food webs are reassembling, and coastal fisheries and aquaculture face risks, with potential land heat implications from higher sea surface temperatures. While warmer seas may attract swimmers in cooler countries, the deeper ecological costs are substantial.

via Euronews.com|

#biodiversity #climate-change #environment

environment25 days ago•5 min saved

Record July Ocean Heat Signals Climate Crisis in Action

Copernicus data show July global sea temperatures reached a record 20.96C, with severe marine heatwaves across the Atlantic, Pacific and western Mediterranean, driven by El Niño and human-caused warming. Western Europe saw its hottest July on record as droughts worsened; scientists warn that rising ocean heat amplifies extreme heat and drought, underscoring the need for rapid greenhouse gas emissions cuts.

via Financial Times|

#climate-change #el-nino #environment

environment3 months ago•5 min saved

UK heat spikes may be arriving faster as summers warm

Scientists observe heat spikes and the rapid onset of UK heatwaves, driven by a warmer baseline, drier soils and shifting wind patterns, with marine heatwaves around the UK boosting land temperatures. While these factors help explain sharper heat increases, experts caution it isn’t yet proven that spikes are becoming more frequent, though the potential for hotter, faster heatwaves raises health risks and underscores a warming climate.

via BBC|

#climate-change #environment #heatwaves

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Scientists Warn of Potential Permanent Shift in Earth's Oceans Due to Rising Heat

In 2023, unprecedented marine heatwaves affected 96% of the ocean surface, potentially pushing the world's oceans into a new, hotter state with serious consequences for climate regulation, marine life, and weather patterns, driven by factors like reduced cloud cover and weaker winds, raising concerns about a fundamental shift in ocean dynamics and the need for urgent research and mitigation efforts.

via Euronews.com|

#climate-change #global-warming #marine-ecosystems

environment3 years ago•5 min saved

Ocean currents offer hope for survival of coral reefs during El Niño events.

Researchers have identified localized ocean processes during the 2015-16 El Niño that provided much-needed sustenance to the coral reefs on the Central Pacific island of Palmyra, allowing them not only to survive, but to thrive. The eastward-flowing North Equatorial Counter Current, which hits Palmyra's western shores, was significantly strengthened during the 2015-16 El Niño, driving an upward movement of cooler plankton-rich waters to the island's coral reefs. Identifying coral reefs that have a greater chance of survival during extreme events is critical to understanding the future of coral reef ecosystems.

via Phys.org|

#climate-change #coral-reefs #el-nino

environment3 years ago•3 min saved

The Alarming Discovery of Heatwaves at the Bottom of the Ocean.

Scientists at NOAA have found evidence of marine heatwaves at the bottom of the ocean, which last longer, can cause more drastic heating, and sometimes occur with little or no evidence of warming at the surface. The world’s oceans are responsible for absorbing about 90 percent of the excess heat generated by man-made carbon emissions, and as such, it’s warming faster than the planet average, increasing in temperature by about 1.5°C (2.7°F) over the past century – with marine heatwaves becoming around 50 percent more frequent in the last decade alone. Increased temperatures at the bottom of the ocean have been linked to a whole host of ecological problems, and with these new data collection methods, the researchers hope to develop real-time monitoring capabilities that can alert marine resource managers to deep ocean conditions.

via IFLScience|

#deep-sea-monitoring #environment #global-warming