The year 2022 marked a new all-time high for ocean warming, with temperatures rising for the seventh consecutive year, accompanied by increased stratification and variation in water salinity, a recent study reveals. published in the scientific journal Advances in atmospheric science« .
According to the study, the heat content of the oceans between the surface and 2,000 meters depth in 2022 exceeded the previous record value reached in 2021, increased by regarding 10 zetta joules (ZJ), or 10 x 1021 the joule, l unit of measurement of energy and heat, say the scientists, noting that this quantity is the equivalent of regarding 100 times the world’s electricity production in 2021.
The continuous increase in temperature combines with ever higher levels of salinity and an increase in stratification, i.e. the separation of water into layers, which can reduce until canceling the mixing and the exchanges between the surface and the deeper zones, it is underlined. ” The global warming of the ocean continues and manifests itself both with new records for the heat content of the waters but also with new extreme values for salinity.“, explained the chief author of the study, Professor Lijing Cheng, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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Among the various consequences of changes in the heat content, salinity and stratification of the oceans, the researchers cite in particular the modification of the way in which heat, carbon and oxygen are exchanged between the ocean and the atmosphere.
« It is a factor that can cause deoxygenation in the water column that is of great concern, not only for marine life and ecosystems, but also for humans and terrestrial ecosystems. All of this contributes to the reduction of marine biodiversity, for example by displacing important fish species, causing critical situations in fishing-dependent communities and their economies, thus creating a ripple effect on the way populations interact with their surrounding environment”, notes the study.
At the same time, weather anomalies have clearly manifested themselves in 2022, which will be remembered for repeated heat waves especially in Western Europe with new temperature records at many times of the year, combined to a significant reduction in rainfall, it is observed. And to add that the drought that resulted from this situation in these areas had a negative impact not only on agricultural activities but also on people’s quality of life (due to the high energy consumption for air conditioning and for power generation itself), also increasing the risk of fires, while flooding has occurred in other regions, often supported by increased evaporation in warmer seas.
With MAP
