As the world’s temperatures continue to rise, climate change has become increasingly severe. This trend is causing more frequent wildfires and tropical storms, as well as rising sea levels and shortages of vital products like food and microchips. To combat the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving this warming, humanity needs all the help it can get.
Recent research from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Service has raised significant concerns about the impact of global heating on our oceans. The new data suggests that the oceans are struggling to keep up with their role in mitigating climate change, as they absorb a quarter of the carbon dioxide produced by humans and around 90% of the planet’s excess heat.
A study in Nature Climate Change has identified human-caused climate change as driving increases in the seasonal cycle amplitude of sea surface temperature. Professor Mike Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey expressed great concern over this trend, noting that rising ocean heat content could have severe consequences if it continues. This includes destabilizing ice shelves and increasing the strength of hurricanes and tropical cyclones.
The implications of rising ocean heat content are significant, and urgent action is needed to address this problem before it leads to irreversible consequences for our planet and its inhabitants. It is important that we take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our oceans from further damage caused by climate change.
