The Oceans Are Warming Up Fast!

by Robert Wilkinson

Data analysis suggests the deepest part of the oceans is warming up, due to absorbing more heat from the water surface. Though scientists don’t really know what it means or what effects will ultimately manifest, it’s clear global warming is happening!

From the Discovery News story by Larry O’Hanlon, “Deep Oceans warming at an alarming rate,” we read “A new re-analysis of data from the ocean depths suggests dramatic warming of the deep sea is under way because of anthropogenic climate change, scientists say.”

It continues, “Despite mixed signals from warming ocean surface waters, a new re-analysis of data from the depths suggests dramatic warming of the deep sea is under way because of anthropogenic climate change. The scientists report that the deep seas are taking in more heat than expected, which is taking some of the warming off the Earth’s surface, but it will not do so forever.”

So we add this to giant ice islands breaking off of Greenland, melting sea ice, melting surface and sub-surface ice in Greenland, along with these measurements involving “satellite measurements of the surface waters,... instruments mounted on elephant seals, ARGO profilers..., and data-gathering instruments moored in place. The data include temperature, salinity, depth, and altimetry of the ocean surface, going back decades.”

It seems surface and deep ocean temperatures are directly related to the phenomenon known as El Nino, which creates havoc with weather patterns over land areas affected. The oceans apparently store a lot of heat in deep water, which is occasionally released and creates disturbances in the atmosphere. It truly seems that we really don’t know much about the heat/cool exchanges involving the oceans, which is unfortunate since we’re all affected by the weather regardless of where on Earth we live.

Anyway, please check out the article, which includes links to topics titled “How global warming will change your life” and “Think the planet isn’t warming? Check the Ocean: analysis.” This is just one more signal that there’s something happening here but we don’t know what it is, do we?

© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[caliban]

The end of the Ice Age?

[Garden]

Thanks for bringing awareness to this and other issues like it. Just wish we knew what to do about it. Technically, we do know, but how do we get everyone on board when there are so many deniers? And when there are so many issues the public puts before it? My heart breaks over the lack of love for our mother....

So while I'm here, I'd like to bring attention to the crisis of endangered species too. Recently I learned we are down to about 3700 tigers.... and again my heart aches.... I'm 35 yrs old.... chances are I'll see them and many other animals wiped off the earth before I'm gone.