Today is World Ocean Day and our oceans are being bombarded by all kinds of threats like pollution, over-fishing, acidification, etc…
But as a meteorologist, I’ll discuss the rapid warming!
We often focus on air temperatures. But the real story is in the oceans.
More than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases is retained in the ocean.
Each year a new assessment is released, and in 2025 the world’s oceans gained an astounding 23 zettajoules (ZJ) of heat.
In relatable terms that’s equivalent to:
🌊 37 years of humanity’s current annual energy consumption
🌊 About 380 million Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs worth of energy
🌊 More than 200 times the world’s annual electricity generation
And that’s just one year!
Why does this matter?
Warmer oceans can fuel marine heatwaves, coral bleaching and death, sea level rise through thermal expansion, contribute to bigger land heatwaves, and provide more energy for heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones. Ocean warming also stresses marine ecosystems that support fisheries, biodiversity, and coastal economies around the world.
The ocean has shielded us from much greater atmospheric warming by absorbing the vast majority of Earth’s excess heat. But that protection comes with growing consequences for ocean health.
On this World Ocean Day, it’s worth remembering that the ocean is not just responding to climate change, it’s bearing the brunt! We must protect our oceans.
#WorldOceanDay #Ocean #Climate #OceanHeat #ClimateChange
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