August Ocean Temperatures Reach Record High, El Niño and Climate Change Cited as Causes
Global ocean temperatures reached a record high of 21.1°C in August. Europe's Copernicus Climate Service attributed this to the natural El Niño phenomenon and long-term warming from fossil fuel use. Ocean temperatures are expected to continue rising until El Niño peaks between November and January.
August Record Broken
Global ocean temperatures reached 21.1 degrees Celsius last Friday and Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in March 2024, according to Samantha Burgess, head of climate strategy at Europe's Copernicus Climate Service. Although ocean surface temperatures typically peak in March and April as the Southern Hemisphere summer ends, given that most of the Southern Hemisphere consists of ocean, this year's record was set in August.
Burgess described this as "another sign that the climate system is under pressure and the ocean is under tremendous stress." Jane Lubchenco, former head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and oceanographer, called the record "very troubling," stating that such warm oceans destabilize weather patterns and threaten food security, economic prosperity, and marine life.
Causes and Outlook
According to Copernicus, the currently growing large-scale natural phenomenon El Niño and human-caused climate change have triggered the ocean temperature rise. Long-term warming from the burning of coal, oil, and gas has raised ocean temperatures by 0.8 degrees, with El Niño accounting for a significant portion of the remaining heat.
The current El Niño is already as large as recent El Niño events and is still growing. It is expected to peak between November and January, and ocean temperatures will continue rising until then, Burgess explained. This El Niño is projected to reach unprecedented levels when it peaks.
Impact
When oceans warm, acidity increases and oxygen decreases, damaging food industries dependent on the sea, such as fisheries, Burgess explained. It also changes ocean currents and weather patterns, supplying more energy to storms, making them stronger, and increasing storm surges.
Burgess cited this summer's example in Europe, explaining that warm oceans amplify the effects of heat waves. When ocean temperatures are very high, nighttime temperatures do not drop even when sea breezes blow, causing heat to persist.
Source
This article is based on ABC News's report Ocean temperatures hit 'very troubling' record high.
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