ESA: ocean surface warming accelerating faster than expected

The European Space Agency (ESA) has reported that satellite data indicates ocean surface temperatures are rising more rapidly than previously estimated by experts.

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20 april 2025   |   08:31   |   Source: PAP / Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Gazeta Morska

Between 1985 and 1989, ocean surfaces warmed at a rate of 0.06°C per decade. However, in the period from 2019 to 2023, this rate surged to 0.27°C per decade—an increase that is 4.5 times faster than in the 1980s.

The findings, published in Environmental Research Letters, stem from a study conducted under ESA’s Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The analysis utilized satellite data from a variety of missions, including ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and Copernicus Sentinel-3.

Scientists attribute the accelerating temperature rise to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

- This energy imbalance, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is propelling climate change, said lead author Chris Merchant of the University of Reading. - Given the accelerating ocean warming and shifting climate dynamics, continuous monitoring and data refinement are critical to ensure our climate models can accurately project future temperature trends.

The study also found that while phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and El Niño events do influence ocean temperatures, their effects are short-lived.

- Our research clearly shows that the increasing accumulation of energy on the planet is the primary driver of long-term ocean surface warming, noted co-author Owen Embury. - Short-term fluctuations due to El Niño, volcanic activity, or solar variability introduce noise into the system, but they do not alter the underlying accelerating trend.

These results will inform ESA’s MOTECUSOMA project, which investigates Earth’s energy imbalance and its role in driving climate change.

- Tackling these challenges requires precise climate forecasting, ESA emphasized. - As oceans absorb more heat, we see intensification of extreme weather events, disruption of marine ecosystems, and accelerated sea level rise-making sustained observation and ongoing refinement of climate models absolutely essential.

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