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Another Record: Ocean Warming Continues through 2021 despite La Niña Conditions
Lijing Cheng1,2, John Abraham3, Kevin E Trenberth4
1International Center for Climate and Environment Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029 China.
Advances in Atmospheric Sciences
|January 17, 2022
Summary
The global ocean reached its highest recorded temperature in 2021 due to increased greenhouse gases. This record ocean heat content (OHC) highlights the urgent need for climate action.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science
- Oceanography
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Human activities increase atmospheric greenhouse gases, trapping heat and raising ocean heat content (OHC).
- Long-term ocean warming trends are observed, with regional variations and attribution to anthropogenic factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide the first analysis of recent ocean heat content (OHC) changes through 2021.
- To analyze global and regional ocean warming trends and their drivers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of recent OHC changes through 2021 using data from two international groups (IAP/CAS and NCEI/NOAA).
- Climate model simulations to attribute long-term ocean warming to greenhouse gas concentrations.
- Examination of year-to-year OHC variations, primarily linked to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Main Results:
- The world ocean recorded its hottest year in 2021, with OHC exceeding previous records.
- Significant warming observed in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans, attributed to anthropogenic greenhouse gases.
- Four out of seven maritime domains (Indian, Tropical Atlantic, North Atlantic, Northwest Pacific, North Pacific, Southern Oceans, and Mediterranean Sea) showed record-high heat content in 2021.
Conclusions:
- The anomalous global and regional ocean warming necessitates incorporation into climate risk assessments.
- Findings underscore the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on ocean heat content and climate change.
- Adaptation and mitigation strategies must consider the observed ocean warming trends.
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