Record Ocean Heat Linked to Climate Change Raises Concerns

INIndia|

A recent study has revealed that global sea surface temperatures reached unprecedented levels between April 2023 and March 2024, surpassing the previous record by approximately 0.25°C. Researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, led by Jens Terhaar, described this event as a one-in-512-year occurrence, significantly influenced by global warming, according to findings published in the journal Nature.

This unusual temperature spike has serious implications for marine life and climate patterns. Prolonged ocean heat can cause devastating impacts, including mass die-offs of fisheries and marine mammals, coral bleaching, and alterations in regional weather patterns, such as monsoons in India, potentially affecting water and food security.

While climate models had suggested such a spike could occur, concerns were raised that global warming might have accelerated faster than anticipated. Nonetheless, the study reassures that current climate models remain reliable in predicting these extreme fluctuations. They also project that temperatures may revert to long-term warming trends by September 2025 as ocean conditions stabilize.

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