The World S Oceans Record Unceasing Climate Change

The 32nd annual State of the Climate report – published today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society – shows that two ocean-related measures – ocean heat content and global sea level rise – were the highest recorded last year. Scientists measure climate change by a variety of means. Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature is the most well-known method and is the one linked to global action on climate change, such as the Paris Agreement. Dr Robert Dunn of the Met Office has been the lead editor of the global climate report chapter for several years. Commenting on this year’s report he said: “Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature since 1850 we know that 2021 was one of the six warmest years since records began. However, natural variations, including planetary cycles—such as the temporary cooling of the tropical Pacific during the recent La Niña event—can mask some of the details of climate change when surface temperature alone is used as a metric. “But when you look at how much the ocean is warming and how much sea level is rising, it’s easier to get a clearer trend of continued climate change, since the majority of the excess energy trapped in the climate system by rising greenhouse gases goes to warming the oceans . For these two metrics, 2021 was a record year.” Ocean heat content and sea level rise are important components of the climate system. The ocean has the largest heat capacity on earth and more than 90% of the extra heat goes to the increasing heat content of the oceans. Sea level rise – driven by the thermal expansion of water and the melting of glaciers and ice caps – is a major consequence of climate change. Robert Dunn concluded: “The evidence of climate change grows stronger with the publication of each annual State of the Climate report. If we can get to a point where atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases begin to decline or even decline, we will begin to see over time a much more positive picture of our climate and our future than these reports.” The report on the state of the climate in detail:

Heat content of the oceans The ocean stores about 91% of the energy acquired by the Earth’s climate system over the past half century. The global heat content of the oceans – measured from the surface to a depth of more than 2000 meters – continued to rise and reached new record highs in 2021. Sea level rise For the 10th consecutive year, global mean sea level rose to a new record high and was about 97mm higher than the average for 1993 – when the satellite record began. The 2021 global warming trend was the fifth, sixth, or sixth warmest year since 1850, depending on the dataset. The last seven years (2015-2021) were the seven warmest years on record. La Niña conditions that began in mid-2020 continued for most of last year. La Niña is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle of natural variation in the tropical Pacific. La Niña events reduce global temperatures by about one-fifth of a degree C. The annual global mean sea surface temperature in 2021 was lower than in 2019 and 2020 due in part to La Niña, but is still 0, 29 C higher than the 1991-2020 average. As a result of these higher-than-average temperatures, about 57% of the ocean surface experienced at least one marine heat wave. Greenhouse gases highest on record Atmospheric concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) all rose to new record highs in 2021. The rate of increase in methane concentrations was the highest since records began in early of the 1980s. Arctic The Arctic had its coolest year since 2013, but 2021 was still the thirteenth warmest in a 122-year record.

The State of the Climate report is a peer-reviewed series published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Available online here. The Met Office also tracks key global climate indicators in its Global Climate Dashboard.

title: “The World S Oceans Record Unceasing Climate Change Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Robby Serrell”

The 32nd annual State of the Climate report – published today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society – shows that two ocean-related measures – ocean heat content and global sea level rise – were the highest recorded last year. Scientists measure climate change by a variety of means. Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature is the most well-known method and is the one linked to global action on climate change, such as the Paris Agreement. Dr Robert Dunn of the Met Office has been the lead editor of the global climate report chapter for several years. Commenting on this year’s report he said: “Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature since 1850 we know that 2021 was one of the six warmest years since records began. However, natural variations, including planetary cycles—such as the temporary cooling of the tropical Pacific during the recent La Niña event—can mask some of the details of climate change when surface temperature alone is used as a metric. “But when you look at how much the ocean is warming and how much sea level is rising, it’s easier to get a clearer trend of continued climate change, since the majority of the excess energy trapped in the climate system by rising greenhouse gases goes to warming the oceans . For these two metrics, 2021 was a record year.” Ocean heat content and sea level rise are important components of the climate system. The ocean has the largest heat capacity on earth and more than 90% of the extra heat goes to the increasing heat content of the oceans. Sea level rise – driven by the thermal expansion of water and the melting of glaciers and ice caps – is a major consequence of climate change. Robert Dunn concluded: “The evidence of climate change grows stronger with the publication of each annual State of the Climate report. If we can get to a point where atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases begin to decline or even decline, we will begin to see over time a much more positive picture of our climate and our future than these reports.” The report on the state of the climate in detail:

Heat content of the oceans The ocean stores about 91% of the energy acquired by the Earth’s climate system over the past half century. The global heat content of the oceans – measured from the surface to a depth of more than 2000 meters – continued to rise and reached new record highs in 2021. Sea level rise For the 10th consecutive year, global mean sea level rose to a new record high and was about 97mm higher than the average for 1993 – when the satellite record began. The 2021 global warming trend was the fifth, sixth, or sixth warmest year since 1850, depending on the dataset. The last seven years (2015-2021) were the seven warmest years on record. La Niña conditions that began in mid-2020 continued for most of last year. La Niña is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle of natural variation in the tropical Pacific. La Niña events reduce global temperatures by about one-fifth of a degree C. The annual global mean sea surface temperature in 2021 was lower than in 2019 and 2020 due in part to La Niña, but is still 0, 29 C higher than the 1991-2020 average. As a result of these higher-than-average temperatures, about 57% of the ocean surface experienced at least one marine heat wave. Greenhouse gases highest on record Atmospheric concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) all rose to new record highs in 2021. The rate of increase in methane concentrations was the highest since records began in early of the 1980s. Arctic The Arctic had its coolest year since 2013, but 2021 was still the thirteenth warmest in a 122-year record.

The State of the Climate report is a peer-reviewed series published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Available online here. The Met Office also tracks key global climate indicators in its Global Climate Dashboard.

title: “The World S Oceans Record Unceasing Climate Change Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-26” author: “Earl Simpson”

The 32nd annual State of the Climate report – published today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society – shows that two ocean-related measures – ocean heat content and global sea level rise – were the highest recorded last year. Scientists measure climate change by a variety of means. Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature is the most well-known method and is the one linked to global action on climate change, such as the Paris Agreement. Dr Robert Dunn of the Met Office has been the lead editor of the global climate report chapter for several years. Commenting on this year’s report he said: “Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature since 1850 we know that 2021 was one of the six warmest years since records began. However, natural variations, including planetary cycles—such as the temporary cooling of the tropical Pacific during the recent La Niña event—can mask some of the details of climate change when surface temperature alone is used as a metric. “But when you look at how much the ocean is warming and how much sea level is rising, it’s easier to get a clearer trend of continued climate change, since the majority of the excess energy trapped in the climate system by rising greenhouse gases goes to warming the oceans . For these two metrics, 2021 was a record year.” Ocean heat content and sea level rise are important components of the climate system. The ocean has the largest heat capacity on earth and more than 90% of the extra heat goes to the increasing heat content of the oceans. Sea level rise – driven by the thermal expansion of water and the melting of glaciers and ice caps – is a major consequence of climate change. Robert Dunn concluded: “The evidence of climate change grows stronger with the publication of each annual State of the Climate report. If we can get to a point where atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases begin to decline or even decline, we will begin to see over time a much more positive picture of our climate and our future than these reports.” The report on the state of the climate in detail:

Heat content of the oceans The ocean stores about 91% of the energy acquired by the Earth’s climate system over the past half century. The global heat content of the oceans – measured from the surface to a depth of more than 2000 meters – continued to rise and reached new record highs in 2021. Sea level rise For the 10th consecutive year, global mean sea level rose to a new record high and was about 97mm higher than the average for 1993 – when the satellite record began. The 2021 global warming trend was the fifth, sixth, or sixth warmest year since 1850, depending on the dataset. The last seven years (2015-2021) were the seven warmest years on record. La Niña conditions that began in mid-2020 continued for most of last year. La Niña is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle of natural variation in the tropical Pacific. La Niña events reduce global temperatures by about one-fifth of a degree C. The annual global mean sea surface temperature in 2021 was lower than in 2019 and 2020 due in part to La Niña, but is still 0, 29 C higher than the 1991-2020 average. As a result of these higher-than-average temperatures, about 57% of the ocean surface experienced at least one marine heat wave. Greenhouse gases highest on record Atmospheric concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) all rose to new record highs in 2021. The rate of increase in methane concentrations was the highest since records began in early of the 1980s. Arctic The Arctic had its coolest year since 2013, but 2021 was still the thirteenth warmest in a 122-year record.

The State of the Climate report is a peer-reviewed series published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Available online here. The Met Office also tracks key global climate indicators in its Global Climate Dashboard.

title: “The World S Oceans Record Unceasing Climate Change Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Kyle Newstead”

The 32nd annual State of the Climate report – published today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society – shows that two ocean-related measures – ocean heat content and global sea level rise – were the highest recorded last year. Scientists measure climate change by a variety of means. Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature is the most well-known method and is the one linked to global action on climate change, such as the Paris Agreement. Dr Robert Dunn of the Met Office has been the lead editor of the global climate report chapter for several years. Commenting on this year’s report he said: “Measuring the Earth’s surface temperature since 1850 we know that 2021 was one of the six warmest years since records began. However, natural variations, including planetary cycles—such as the temporary cooling of the tropical Pacific during the recent La Niña event—can mask some of the details of climate change when surface temperature alone is used as a metric. “But when you look at how much the ocean is warming and how much sea level is rising, it’s easier to get a clearer trend of continued climate change, since the majority of the excess energy trapped in the climate system by rising greenhouse gases goes to warming the oceans . For these two metrics, 2021 was a record year.” Ocean heat content and sea level rise are important components of the climate system. The ocean has the largest heat capacity on earth and more than 90% of the extra heat goes to the increasing heat content of the oceans. Sea level rise – driven by the thermal expansion of water and the melting of glaciers and ice caps – is a major consequence of climate change. Robert Dunn concluded: “The evidence of climate change grows stronger with the publication of each annual State of the Climate report. If we can get to a point where atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases begin to decline or even decline, we will begin to see over time a much more positive picture of our climate and our future than these reports.” The report on the state of the climate in detail:

Heat content of the oceans The ocean stores about 91% of the energy acquired by the Earth’s climate system over the past half century. The global heat content of the oceans – measured from the surface to a depth of more than 2000 meters – continued to rise and reached new record highs in 2021. Sea level rise For the 10th consecutive year, global mean sea level rose to a new record high and was about 97mm higher than the average for 1993 – when the satellite record began. The 2021 global warming trend was the fifth, sixth, or sixth warmest year since 1850, depending on the dataset. The last seven years (2015-2021) were the seven warmest years on record. La Niña conditions that began in mid-2020 continued for most of last year. La Niña is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle of natural variation in the tropical Pacific. La Niña events reduce global temperatures by about one-fifth of a degree C. The annual global mean sea surface temperature in 2021 was lower than in 2019 and 2020 due in part to La Niña, but is still 0, 29 C higher than the 1991-2020 average. As a result of these higher-than-average temperatures, about 57% of the ocean surface experienced at least one marine heat wave. Greenhouse gases highest on record Atmospheric concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) all rose to new record highs in 2021. The rate of increase in methane concentrations was the highest since records began in early of the 1980s. Arctic The Arctic had its coolest year since 2013, but 2021 was still the thirteenth warmest in a 122-year record.

The State of the Climate report is a peer-reviewed series published annually as a special supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Available online here. The Met Office also tracks key global climate indicators in its Global Climate Dashboard.