Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans

Abstract

Changes in ocean heat content (OHC), salinity, and stratification provide critical indicators for changes in Earth’s energy and water cycles. These cycles have been profoundly altered due to the emission of greenhouse gasses and other anthropogenic substances by human activities, driving pervasive changes in Earth’s climate system. In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, the 0–2000 m OHC in 2022 exceeded that of 2021 by 10.9 ± 8.3 ZJ (1 Zetta Joules = 1021 Joules); and according to NCEI/NOAA data, by 9.1 ± 8.7 ZJ. Among seven regions, four basins (the North Pacific, North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and southern oceans) recorded their highest OHC since the 1950s. The salinity-contrast index, a quantification of the “salty gets saltier—fresh gets fresher” pattern, also reached its highest level on record in 2022, implying continued amplification of the global hydrological cycle. Regional OHC and salinity changes in 2022 were dominated by a strong La Niña event. Global upper-ocean stratification continued its increasing trend and was among the top seven in 2022.

Atmospheric Methane: Comparison Between Methane's Record in 2006–2022 and During Glacial Terminations

“…Strong global‐scale evidence for dramatic present‐day climate warming comes from the heat content of the upper part of the oceans (von Schuckmann et al., 2023), which not only has a sustained and strong warming trend, but the rate of warming is accelerating (L. J. Cheng et al., 2023). Warming has been particularly anomalous in the South Atlantic, in the North Atlantic offshore North America and in the Indian Ocean offshore Southern Africa.…”

“…Moreover, apart from the measurement of heat stored in the oceans (L. J. Cheng et al., 2023; von Schuckmann et al., 2023), it is difficult to quantify the total sum of change, nor to quantify the collective impact on global climate. But equally it is plausible that the multiplicity of recent events, their abruptness, and their power are circumstantial signs a major reorganization of the global climate system has already begun.…”

Combating Climate Change and Global Warming for a Sustainable Living in Harmony with Nature

“…Recently, at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, representatives of some 1.2 billion people, from the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) consisting of countries from Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific were pushing the rest of the world to accept the idea of keeping the rise in global temperatures to under 1.5 ºC. Currently, the world's ocean surface heat is at record-breaking levels and its impacts are potentially catastrophic [35] . The vast amount of Arctic ice helps to cool the planet by reflecting the majority of the Sun's radiation back into space.…”

Attributing daily ocean temperatures to anthropogenic climate change

“…Ocean temperatures have been rising steadily, both at the surface and at depth. In 2022, the 0-2000 m Ocean Heat Content was at a record high, having warmed a rate of 5.5 zetta-Joules per year since 1985 (Cheng et al 2023). This observed increase is one of the strongest and most robust signals of human-caused climate change (IPCC 2021).…”