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How much heat does the ocean absorb? More than 90% of the Earth's excess energy goes into the ocean!
Over the past few decades, the effects of global warming have become increasingly apparent, and the ocean plays a vital role in this process. In fact, since 1971, the oceans have absorbed and stored more than 90 percent of the world's excess energy. This is not only a scientific fact, but also a reality in our lives that cannot be ignored.
Ocean heat content (OHC) is an important indicator of the change and uptake of heat on our planet.
As greenhouse gas emissions from human activities rise, the increase in ocean heat is accelerating. According to the latest research report, as of 2023, oceans around the world have once again set a record high, exceeding the highest value in 2022. Between 2019 and 2023, all five heat observations within 2,000 meters of the ocean depth showed an increasing trend, which strongly shows the impact of global warming.
The ocean has a heat capacity 35 times greater than that of the atmosphere, allowing it to store and transport large amounts of energy.
Since before 1960, researchers have been monitoring sea surface temperatures and water temperatures at different depths around the globe. Since 2000, the deployment of nearly 4,000 Argo robotic floats has made observations of the ocean's heat content more complete and accurate. These buoys are able to penetrate waters 700 meters or more, providing important data on heat absorption and changes. According to estimates, from 2003 to 2018, the ocean heat content in the first 2000 meters increased at an average annual rate of 0.58±0.08 W/m².
However, correctly measuring the temperature of the ocean has long been a challenge, which explains the uncertainty in many statistics. However, it is undeniable that changes in ocean heat have significant impacts on ecosystems, including on coastal communities. These impacts are mainly manifested in sea level changes, sea ice changes, changes in water cycle intensity, and migration of marine life.
About 30-40% of global sea level rise has been attributed to increased ocean heat, primarily due to the expansion of water and the melting of ice.
The ocean's absorption of heat is mainly due to the increase in human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Over time, these anthropogenic changes have increased the ocean's heat absorption. In research over the past few years, scientists have largely confirmed that the ocean's heat gain is irreversible, especially on human time scales.
These observations suggest that imbalances in global warming are the root cause of the increase in ocean heat, primarily due to increases in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Of course, all this has to do with the impacts of climate change not just being limited to changes in ocean heat. The increase in ocean heat also affects climate cycles, rainfall patterns and the frequency of extreme weather events, the study shows.
As Earth's largest reservoir of heat, the ocean regulates our climate, acting as both a source and a reservoir of heat.
Recent studies also indicate that increased ocean heat is contributing to rising sea levels and accelerating the melting of polar ice caps. This not only threatens the survival of coastal areas, but may also trigger larger-scale climate change and ecological crises.
As we look to the future, how to effectively reduce our carbon emissions and slow the increase in ocean heat will become one of the world's most important challenges. What actions can we, as policymakers, scientists, and ordinary citizens, take to mitigate these impacts and protect our oceans and ecosystems?
