Global ocean breaks records with 100 days of heat as El Niño adds new threat
For 100 consecutive days between June 2 and Sept. 10, the global ocean outside of polar regions sustained record high average sea surface temperatures, according to data from the Climate Reanalyzer, a platform overseen by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute in the U.S. On each of the 100 days, sea surface temperatures exceeded […]
From June 2 to September 10, the global ocean, excluding polar regions, experienced an unprecedented 100 consecutive days of record-high average sea surface temperatures, according to data from the Climate Reanalyzer platform. Operated by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, the platform analyzed data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
On each day, sea surface temperatures surpassed those recorded on the same date in any previous year since 1982. On August 22, the global ocean sea surface temperatures peaked at 21.10°C (69.98°F), as reported by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Temperatures continued to climb, reaching a high of 21.18°C (70.12°F) between August 22 and 27.
Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at Climate Central, explained that these record temperatures are likely to persist due to the intensifying El Niño, which is already causing them to remain elevated in the near future. Labe emphasized that this record ocean heat is part of a long-term trend driven by the human-induced climate crisis and that unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, the oceans will continue to warm.
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