2023-06-13 07:59:37
ocean
Atlantic is warmer than ever – “that’s worrying”
The water surface temperature of the Atlantic has been well above the long-term mean for months. “This is very worrying,” says researchers.
published
The water surface temperature of the world’s oceans is well above the normal range.
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This can be for several reasons: One is that the amounts of Saharan dust, which has a cooling effect on the water, are sparse this year.
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The increased temperatures can have a fatal impact on the ecosystem in the sea. Because this is accompanied by a reduced oxygen concentration in the water.
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The sea surface temperature of the oceans is reaching new record highs.
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A mixture of different factors is responsible for this.
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The increased temperatures are problematic: They favor the development of strong storms and endanger the ecosystem in the ocean.
For more than three months, the water surface temperature The Atlantic reached a record level for this time of year: in May this year it was already 19.9 degrees (0.1 degrees higher than 2020), on June 11 it had already reached 22.7 degrees – a full 0.5 degrees higher than in 2010.
But the water surface temperature is also rising in the other oceans: an average of 20.9 degrees and thus 0.2 degrees above the previous record from 2022. “NewScientist” reports on this with reference to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“This is clearly outside the framework and is very worrying,” comments François Lapointe from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It is normal for the water temperature in the oceans to rise periodically, but not to this extent. The weather phenomenon The boy leads to rising temperatures at the water surface every few years.
Less Sahara dust than usual
Exactly why the temperatures are so high is the subject of numerous discussions among researchers. Various factors are likely to play a role: The effects of the man-made climate crisis are causing temperatures in the Atlantic to rise. But not only that: Normally, the Sahara dust coming from Africa has a cooling effect – because it minimizes the reflection of sunlight on the water. This year, however, the amount of Saharan dust is much sparser than usual. According to forecasts, this will not change until the end of June.
Even if the Saharan dust is not influenced by the climate crisis, it underscores the interplay between man-made factors and natural variability in terms of climate. The warm water temperature could favor the formation of stronger storms. It is also a problem for the ecosystem in the ocean, says Lapointe: “Because the warm water means that there is less exchange between the water layers and therefore less oxygen in the water.”
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