Global Warming

Sudden Spike in Ocean Temperatures

The world's oceans have suddenly spiked much hotter and well above record levels in the last few weeks, with scientists trying to figure out what it means and whether it forecasts a surge in atmospheric warming.

Some researchers think the jump in sea surface temperatures stems from a brewing and possibly strong natural El Nino warming weather condition plus a rebound from three years of a cooling La Nina, all on top of steady global warming that is heating deeper water below. If that's the case, they said, record-breaking ocean temperatures this month could be the first in many heat records to shatter.

From early March to this week, the global average ocean sea surface temperature jumped nearly two-tenths of a degree Celsius (0.36 degree Fahrenheit), according to the University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer, which climate scientists use and trust. That may sound small, but for the average of the world's oceans — which is 71% of Earth's area —to rise so much in that short a time, “that's huge,” said University of Colorado climate scientist Kris Karnauskas. “That's an incredible departure from what was already a warm state to begin with.”