How rising ocean temperatures are influencing our weather

Hirschi, Joel. 2024 How rising ocean temperatures are influencing our weather. Hydro International, 28.

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Abstract/Summary

Globally, surface air and ocean temperatures have warmed by about 1°C since 1900. More than 90% of the additional heat contained in the climate system (atmosphere, ocean, land) due to global warming is stored in the ocean, so what do these increased ocean temperatures mean for our weather? The ocean stores significantly more heat than the atmosphere: the top few metres of the ocean contain more thermal energy than the entire atmosphere. There is a continuous exchange of heat between the ocean and atmosphere and the weather we experience is intrinsically linked to the heat contained in the ocean. As atmospheric winds flow over the ocean, they typically pick up moisture and either gain or release heat. At mid-latitudes, and depending on the season, maritime air masses are usually either comparatively mild and humid (winter) or cool and humid (summer). Regions such as western Europe or the north-western US and western Canada experience maritime climates. These are characterized by reduced seasonal temperature extremes compared to locations at similar latitudes in the interior and along the east coasts of the continents as the prevalent westerly winds either come from the ocean (west coasts) or the interior of the continents (east coasts).

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Date made live:	23 Jul 2024 12:31 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537750

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