Scientists from China and the United States have found that for the sixth consecutive year, the surface temperature of the World Ocean is breaking a record. An article with the results of the study was published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on January 11.
23 researchers from 14 institutes have been working on a report on the change in ocean surface temperature and its consequences since the 1950s, the website aif.ru writes.
According to their data, the ocean temperature is rising, and this in turn is one of the main indicators of climate change associated with human activities. It takes less than four years for specialists to separate the anthropogenic warming signal from natural variations.
According to Cheng Lijing, professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the coronavirus pandemic did not prevent the accumulation of heat in the oceans, during which the volume of harmful emissions decreased, the website kp.ru reports. According to scientists, in 2021, the ocean absorbed 14 zettajoules more than in the previous year, which is 145 times more than the world’s electricity production in 2020.
In addition to heat, the ocean absorbs 20 to 30% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, which leads to its acidification. Warming reduces the efficiency of this process, as a result of which carbon dioxide remains in the air, Life.ru notes.
According to experts, the consequences of this phenomenon are very tangible: when the oceans heat up, the water expands, and the sea level rises. In this regard, the risk of severe storms and hurricanes increases, as well as the amount of precipitation and floods, writes “Moscow 24”.
On January 10, European scientists named 2021 one of the warmest on record. Experts pointed out that the level of CO2 in the atmosphere reached a global average of 414 parts per million, the level of methane became a record – 1876 parts per million.
The last seven years – the period from 2015 to 2021 – are the warmest on record, with 2016 and 2020 still holding the record.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
