Study Reveals Marine Heatwaves Have Tripled in 80 Years
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A recent study indicates that extreme marine heatwaves have surged threefold over the last 80 years due to global warming, significantly impacting marine ecosystems and atmospheric conditions. Urgent climate action is necessary to mitigate these effects.
Key Takeaways
- Extreme heat days in oceans have tripled since the 1940s.
- Global warming is linked to nearly half of marine heatwave occurrences.
- Marine ecosystems face severe threats from prolonged warm waters.
- Increased marine heatwaves may lead to more intense tropical storms.
- Urgent action is needed to protect marine environments.
London, April 17 (NationPress) The number of days annually during which the world's oceans experience extreme surface heat has tripled over the past 80 years due to global warming, according to a recent study.
Researchers discovered that, on average, the global sea surface encountered approximately 15 days of extreme heat each year in the 1940s, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Currently, that number has surged to nearly 50 days per year, as outlined in the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Global warming is attributed to nearly half of the instances of marine heatwaves—periods when sea surface temperatures rise significantly above normal for extended durations.
The research team, which includes scientists from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, the University of Reading, the International Space Science Institute, and the University of the Balearic Islands, also identified that rising global temperatures are causing extreme ocean heat events to last longer and intensify.
"Marine heatwaves can wreak havoc on underwater ecosystems. Prolonged episodes of unusually warm waters can obliterate coral reefs, devastate kelp forests, and damage seagrass meadows," stated Xiangbo Feng, a co-author of the study from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading.
The consequences of marine heatwaves extend beyond the ocean. Researchers caution that an increase in marine heatwaves could destabilize our atmosphere, leading to more frequent and severe tropical storms in certain regions.
"As global temperatures keep rising, marine heatwaves will become even more prevalent and severe, exerting additional pressure on already stressed ocean ecosystems. These escalating marine heatwaves could, in turn, lead to a less stable atmosphere, resulting in more frequent and intense tropical storms in various areas," Feng mentioned.
Highlighting that human activities are fundamentally altering our oceans, the study advocates for urgent climate action to safeguard marine environments.
