Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Scientists deliver ‘starkest warning yet’ of profound changes sweeping
the planet’s oceans
Ocean temperatures shape global climate by absorbing, storing, and
moving vast amounts of heat and moisture around the planet. The oceans absorb
over 90% of the excess heat trapped in Earth's atmosphere by greenhouse gases.
In the last few years, the rate of ocean warming has been accelerating and
breaking previous records. Warmer surface waters pump more heat and moisture
into the air, fueling heavier rainfall, severe flooding, and more powerful storms.
Also, the oceans have become more acidic, which severely affects underwater
ecosystems. And as water warms, it expands and raises global sea level alongside
melting ice sheets. Both polar regions are affected the most by global ocean
warming. Sea surface temperatures in the Arctic region have risen by over four
degrees Celsius over the past four decades. Antarctica is experiencing rapid
ice loss and ocean warming, too. The newly released Copernicus Ocean State
Report warns that the world's oceans are undergoing rapid, interconnected, and
long-term transformation driven by climate change.
Read the article and learn what is behind the scenes of recent extreme
weather events.
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