The temperature of the world’s oceans has reached unprecedented heights
In February, the world’s oceans experienced unprecedented temperatures, with the average global sea surface temperature reaching a new high of +21.06° Celsius.
This surpasses the previous record of +20.98° Celsius, which was set in August 2023, as reported by Reuters. The alarming fact is that this record-breaking temperature was observed during the hottest February ever recorded. It is worth noting that this February marked the ninth consecutive month to break the monthly temperature record. The rise in ocean temperatures can be attributed to both El Niño and human-induced climate change.
Climate scientist Richard Allan from the University of Reading highlights that it is particularly surprising to see record-high sea surface temperatures in regions far from the center of El Niño, such as the tropical Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
This emphasizes the significant impact of increasing greenhouse gas emissions on our atmosphere.
Scientists have reported that the weakening El Niño in the equatorial Pacific has not led to a decrease in air temperatures over the oceans, which remain at unusually high levels.
Additionally, a recent study suggests that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the next few years, a decade earlier than previously predicted.
This alarming conclusion is based on projections that the area of ocean ice cover will be less than 621 thousand square kilometers. If this occurs, the Arctic will undergo a significant transformation from a white summer Arctic to a blue Arctic.
