[imagesource:pixabay]
Scientists are freaking out after ocean temperatures began climbing in mid-March and ‘skyrocketed’ over the course of the following weeks.
The increase in global ocean temperature is way above normal for this time of year, and despite dropping somewhat since its peak in April, temperatures are still far higher than they have ever been recorded for this time of year.
And if scientists start freaking out, we might have to take notice.
One of the baffled science guys is Gregory C. Johnson, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These okes calculate the ocean surface temperature using a network of ships, buoys, satellites, and floats, and he reckons the data is alarming.
Another one to question the cause is Matthew England, professor of ocean and climate dynamics at the University of New South Wales, who told CNN that “a massive amount of energy” would be needed to affect a temperature change on that scale. Preliminary data shows it to be nearly two-tenths of a degree higher than the previous record in 2016.
Some scientists are concerned the scale of these new records could mark the start of an alarming trend. Others say record-breaking temperatures like these are always concerning but to be expected given the human-caused climate crisis.
I’m telling you guys, it’s the friggin aliens.
Everyone involved in sifting through the data does however agree that warmer ocean temperatures are a bad thing. Warmer oceans bleach coral, kill marine life, increase sea level rise and make the ocean less efficient at absorbing planet-warming pollution. In the end, we’re looking at a warmer everything.
The world has just emerged from a 3-year La Niña, El Niño’s cooler cousin, which has helped mask the full impact of global warming. Perhaps the natural cooling effect has helped the phenomenon seem more dramatic.
“It’s a little bit like we’ve had the freezer door open for a while and it’s helped to cool the planet.”
That might explain it, but even if the fridge door is open, the house still seems to be on fire as global temperatures have continued to rise. El Niño will most likely be like opening the oven while the walls start melting.
The disruption of normal heating cycles is concerning for scientists as it makes predictive modelling sketchy. For now, the race is on to see if this is an isolated event, or “the start of an even more worrying trend.”
One thing everyone seems to be in agreement about is that we haven’t seen the last of record-warm temperatures.
Things on Earth are heating up. Just the way the aliens like it.
[source:cnn]