The world’s oceans are extremely hot. We’re about to find out what happens next.
前例のない大西洋の加熱と太平洋のエルニーニョにより、気候は未知の領域に押し込まれています。6月14日水曜日、北大西洋の表面は平均温度華氏73度に達しました。(English) Unprecedented Atlantic Ocean heating and El Niño in the Pacific push the climate into uncharted territory. On Wednesday, June 14, the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean reached an average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
The world's oceans are extremely hot. We're about to find out what happens next.
Unprecedented Atlantic Ocean heating and El Niño in the Pacific push the climate into uncharted territory.
//Summary -Leve-C2//
Record high temperatures in the world's oceans, particularly the North Atlantic, push the climate into uncharted territory. This heating, driven by human-induced climate change, the weak Azores big, Atlantic Ocean temperature cycles, and reduced air pollution, can influence global weather patterns, fuel powerful storms, and impact marine life. The consequences include altered rainfall, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and potential changes to hurricane formation. Human actions will significantly influence future outcomes, emphasizing the need for greenhouse gas reduction and sustainable practices.
1)
On Wednesday, June 14, the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean reached an average temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit(=22.7 Celsius).
That may sound like a pleasant day at the pool, but it's record high and will have global consequences. Over the past three decades, the average for this time of year is 71 degrees Fahrenheit (=26.1 Celsius). That two-degree difference reflects considerable extra energy stored in the ocean. The Atlantic has been riding a wave of extreme heat since last year. And as summer sets in, the temperature will climb.
2)
"This is an incredibly unusual year," said Gabriel Vecchi, a climate scientist at Princeton University. "A warm Atlantic tends to have a lot of global influences."
Atlantic Ocean surface temperatures affect rainfall and storms in Brazil, India, the Sahel region of Africa, and the southwestern United States. Hot water is also the fuel for hurricanes, which need the sea surface to be at least 79 degrees Fahrenheit to form. Higher temperatures boost the octane rating of this fuel, leading to more powerful storms. They can also diminish stocks of fish, which feed 3 billion people.
3)
And it's not just the Atlantic; oceans worldwide are seeing stunningly high average temperatures. On the other side of the globe, the Pacific Ocean surface is also heating up as it enters the El Niño phase of its cycle. These phenomena are poised to push the planet's temperature to new heights.
4)
"It wouldn't be surprising if we saw this as one of the warmest years ever," Vecchi said.
Two-thirds of the planet is covered with water, and the atmosphere covers all of it. Sea surface temperature is a critical metric because it explains what's going on where the water meets the sky. It's the engine of the global climate, driving trade winds, ocean currents, precipitation, and temperature.
Humans have been mucking with that engine, spewing greenhouse gasses, particles, and aerosols into the atmosphere while dumping all forms of pollution into the oceans. Though the oceans go through natural heating and cooling cycles, they're now occurring on top of a profoundly altered world, creating conditions that humanity has never witnessed before.
5)
What's making the Atlantic Ocean so warm right now?
One of the most critical factors behind the underwater heat wave is that humans have raised Earth's average temperature by 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution by burning fossil fuels and emitting heat-trapping gasses. Most of the warming — 90 per cent — is occurring in the ocean.
Since 1955, the oceans have soaked up 345 petajoules of energy, according to NASA. One petajoule is 87 times the amount of energy produced by the world's nuclear power plants in a year.
6)
But this warming trend has been going on for more than a century. Why are temperatures suddenly rising in the North Atlantic Ocean now?
There are several converging factors at work here. One is the Azores High, a semi-permanent region of high atmospheric pressure that sits over the North Atlantic. This creates a sinking column of air that generates trade winds blowing east to west over the water. When wind moves over water, it leads to more evaporation which cools the surface of the water, similar to how a breeze can cool your skin when you sweat.
7)
"It's been weak for the past month or so, and what that will tend to do is weaken the trade winds in the North Atlantic," explained Dillon Amaya, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research scientist. "For as long as it's weak, that reduces the amount of wind blowing on the ocean's surface and that reduces evaporation and that causes ocean temperatures to skyrocket."
Another element is the Atlantic Ocean goes through its temperature cycles on different timescales. The Atlantic Meridional Mode is a shift in the temperature gradient in the water that can swing back and forth between seasons, years, or decades. It can alter wind, heat, and rainfall patterns and is in its warm phase this year. Over longer time scales, the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation plays a role. This is another periodic rise in sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic, and it's also in the warm phase of its cycle right now.
8)
In addition, there's evidence that a reduction in air pollution over the past half-century had an unexpected side-effect: Since the end of World War II, sulfur and nitrogen aerosols from the tailpipes of cars, smokestacks of ships, and chimneys of factories have been drifting over the North Atlantic from the United States and Europe. That helped keep the Atlantic cool.
"Aerosols shut down sunlight. That sunlight is deflected before it reaches the ocean's surface," said Hiroyuki Murakami, a scientist at NOAA studying variations in the Atlantic Ocean. "If we increase aerosols, we expect cooler sea surface conditions."
But as cities filled with toxic, dirty air, citizens on both sides of the pond clamoured for stricter limits on air pollution. This led to regulations that reduced aerosols over the Atlantic, which led to more warming at the ocean's surface. A new law in 2020 that drastically limited sulfur from shipping may also have played a role.
9)
The combination of these effects — climate change, the weak Azores high, the Atlantic Ocean temperature cycles, and reduced air pollution — is playing out now. "We have a superposition of at least four different things that are pushing the Atlantic into warmth this year," Vecchi said. "It is not surprising that it is spectacularly warm."
10)
The planet's oceans are in hot water.
It's still too early to see many of the consequences of the record-warm sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean, but scientists point out that the mechanisms of warmer water are well-established.
Hotter sea surface temperatures can lead to more evaporation and, thus, more rainfall. It can nudge wind patterns, so some places get wetter while others get drier. Meanwhile, more heat causes the ocean to expand, which accounts for one-third to one-half of global sea level rise.
11)
Water temperature has enormous effects on life in the ocean, too. As the water heats up, it releases less oxygen and can suffocate fish. Hot water was a factor in thousands of dead Menhaden fish washing up on a beach in Texas earlier this month.
Warm water at the surface also slows upwelling, a critical mechanism that brings nutrients from deep in the ocean to the surface, nourishing life. Half of the world's fish are caught in upwelling regions, so that higher sea surface temperatures could lower the output of fisheries.
12)
Another consequence of higher temperatures is that it makes the water more acidic, accelerating ongoing ocean acidification as the seas absorb more carbon dioxide. And along with fertilizer runoff, hotter temperatures in the Atlantic contribute to record blooms of sargassum, a smelly, toxic seaweed that's now fouling beaches in Florida and the Caribbean.
This is happening on top of all the other ways humans are stressing the ocean: overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction.
One of the most significant uncertainties this year is how the hot water in the Atlantic will affect hurricanes. NOAA has forecasted a "near-normal" hurricane season this year. Hotter surface water temperatures tend to charge up hurricanes, but the brewing El Niño in the Pacific stands to destabilize the air above the Atlantic and prevent storms from forming.
"We have this tug of war: El Niño wants to say tropical Atlantic hurricanes should be weaker this year, but these hot ocean [temperatures] say hurricanes should be stronger," said Amaya. "Only time will tell which process wins out."
13)
It's also unclear whether such sudden temperature spikes in the Atlantic Ocean will become more common. The global average water temperature is still poised to rise; however, many consequences of hotter water — changing ocean chemistry, sea level rise, altered weather patterns — will continue to ramp up.
"We've baked in a certain amount of warming of the planet," Vecchi said. "But what happens after that will be strongly influenced by human decisions now."
Investing in technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions, pulling carbon dioxide out of the air, and ending the burning of fossil fuels will be critical to limiting heat in the ocean. In the meantime, the world will continue to experience the results of humanity's uncontrolled climate experiment, with more alarming records poised to fall.
Add info)
//New words//
1. Unprecedented: Never done or known before.
"The government took the unprecedented step of releasing confidential correspondence."
2. 73 degrees Fahrenheit: A temperature measurement on the Fahrenheit scale.
"The weather today is 73 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect for a picnic."
3. Consequences: A result or effect of an action or condition.
"Many have been forced to deal with the consequences of their actions."
4. Gargantuan: Enormous, gigantic.
"The gargantuan task of cleaning up the city was daunting."
5. Octane rating: A standard measure of the performance of an engine or aviation gasoline.
"High-performance cars often require fuel with a high octane rating."
6. Diminish: Make or become less.
"Her hope of success was starting to diminish."
7. Stunningly: Extremely impressively or attractively.
"She looked stunningly beautiful in her dress."
8. Phenomena: A fact or situation observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.
"Glaciers are interesting natural phenomena."
9. Atmosphere: The envelope of gases surrounding the Earth or another planet.
"The Earth's atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen."
10. Metric: A system or standard of measurement.
"The metric system is widely used around the world."
11. Precipitation: Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
"The forecast predicts heavy precipitation later this evening."
12. Spewing greenhouse gasses: Emitting gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
"Factories are often guilty of spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere."
13. Particle: A minute portion of matter.
"Dust particles are often too small to see with the naked eye."
14. Aerosol: A substance enclosed under pressure and able to be released as a fine spray.
"She sprayed the room with a fresh-smelling aerosol."
15. Profoundly: In a profound manner; greatly.
"His mother's death when he was six affected him profoundly."
16. Altered world: A world that has been changed or modified.
"We are living in an altered world due to the effects of climate change."
17. Witnessed: Seen (an event, typically a crime or accident) occurs.
"He witnessed the accident while walking to the store."
18. Emitting heat-trapping gasses: Releasing gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
"The power plant is emitting heat-trapping gases."
19. 345 zettajoules of energy: A unit of energy measurement.
"The sun emits approximately 385 zettajoules of energy each second."
20. Converging factors: Factors that come together from different directions to meet eventually.
"Several converging factors caused the crisis."
21. Semi-permanent: Lasting indefinitely, usually with some breaks or interruptions.
"He has a semi-permanent residence in the city."
22. Region: An area with definable characteristics, especially part of a country or the world.
"The region is known for its outstanding natural beauty."
23. Sinking column: A vertical descent, often referring to air or water movement.
"The sinking column of cold air caused a sudden drop in temperature."
24. Evaporation: The process of turning from a liquid into vapour.
"Evaporation of ocean water is a major water cycle component."
25. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): A scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that focuses on the conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere.
"NOAA provides weather forecasts and warnings for the United States."
26. The Atlantic Meridional Mode: A climate pattern that describes changes in sea surface temperature and winds over the Atlantic Ocean.
"The Atlantic Meridional Mode can influence hurricane activity."
27. Rainfall pattern: The uneven distribution of rainfall over a region.
"The rainfall pattern in this area has changed due to climate change."
28. Periodic rise: A regular increase in level or amount.
"The periodic rise in sea levels concerns coastal communities."
29. Reduction: The action or fact of making a specified thing smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
"Reducing carbon emissions is a critical goal for many countries."
30. Sulfur: A chemical element found in nature and used in industry.
"Sulfur is used in the manufacture of fertilizers and pesticides."
31. Nitrogen aerosols: Tiny particles in the atmosphere that contain nitrogen.
"Nitrogen aerosols can contribute to air pollution."
32. Tailpipe: The pipe carrying exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine to the rear of a vehicle.
"Emissions from the tailpipe contribute to air pollution."
33. Smokestack: A large, tall chimney at a factory, power station, or ship.
"Smoke billowed from the smokestack of the factory."
34. Chimney: A vertical channel or pipe which conducts smoke and combustion gases up from a fire or furnace and typically through the roof of a building.
"Smoke was rising from the chimney of the house."
35. Drastically: Severely and suddenly or with very noticeable effects.
"His health has drastically improved."
36. Combination: A joining or merging of different parts or qualities in which the components are individually distinct.
"The combination of these factors caused the problem."
37. Superposition: The placement of one thing on top of another.
"The superposition of these images creates an interesting effect."
38. Spectacularly: In a way that attracts attention by being very impressive or dramatic.
"The fireworks lit up the sky spectacularly."
39. Nudge: Prod (someone) gently with one's elbow to attract attention.
"She nudged her friend to look at the strange man."
40. Oxygen: A colourless, odourless reactive gas, the chemical element of atomic number 8 and a member of the noble gases.
"Oxygen is essential for human life."
41. Upwelling: A process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface.
"Upwelling areas are regions of high biological productivity."
42. Acidic: Having the properties of acid or containing acid; having a pH below 7.
"The soil in this area is too acidic for most plants to grow."
43. Accelerating: Increasing speed or rate.
"The car is accelerating down the highway."
44. Ocean acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
"Ocean acidification is a major concern for marine life, particularly shellfish and coral reefs."
45. Dioxide: A compound containing two oxygen atoms per molecule.
"Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas."
46. Fertilizer: A chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase fertility.
"The farmer spread fertilizer on his fields to improve crop yield."
47. Sargassum: A genus of large brown seaweed (a type of algae) that floats in island-like masses.
"Sargassum provides a habitat for a diverse group of marine species."
48. Destruction: The action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.
"The destruction of the forest has had a devastating impact on local wildlife."
49. Forecasted: Predict or estimate (a future event or trend).
"Rain is forecasted for the weekend."
50. Destabilize: Upset the stability or smooth functioning of (a system, process, or situation).
"The political scandal could destabilize the government."
51. Tug: Pull (something) hard or suddenly.
"He gave a tug on the rope to test its strength."
52. Sudden spikes in temperature: Rapid, significant temperature increases.
"Sudden temperature spikes can harm certain plants and animals."
53. Ramp up: Increase or cause to increase in amount or intensity.
"The factory ramped up production to meet the increased demand."
54. To cut greenhouse gas emissions: To reduce the release of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
"Many countries have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change."
55. Pulling carbon dioxide out of the air: The process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
"Scientists are exploring methods for pulling carbon dioxide out of the air to mitigate climate change."
//Postscript//
In elementary and junior high school, I had been learning about the "global warming crisis" in class for several decades.
Turning off unnecessary lights, separating garbage such as plastics and bottles, carrying eco-bags, buying local ingredients instead of imported goods, etc., are still the same.
Solar power generation, wind power generation and electric vehicles have become more common in various places than in the past.
But are these effective measures?
Whenever I read articles about climate change, I am confused about what to do and what not to do.
Dinosaurs went extinct once.
Will humans become extinct one day?
Will it be because of war, viruses, nuclear explosions or climate change?
Countries that have oil or natural gas are rich.
Is it impossible to introduce an ecosystem to unbalance fossil fuel usage?
Under the influence of the coronavirus, flights around the world have stopped for the last three years, and factories have also stopped.
The beautiful stars in the sky have returned to Tokyo, and the air has become cleaner.
If this situation continued for decades, would climate change have stopped?
Has anything changed in recent years?
Every climate summit seems like a gathering of rich people sitting in a luxury hotel, eating delicious food and discussing fantasies.
Isn't it time we had a serious conversation about our future as people living on the same planet?
If we want to stop using oil, oil-producing countries need a mechanism to switch to another industry.
We need to eliminate unnecessary imports and exports and create production systems that suit each country to encourage local production for local consumption.
And above all, we need a good education.
Life is not just about making money.
To live life to the fullest, we must help and love each other.
We must all help each other to create a planet worth living on.
That's why creating opportunities to think seriously about what you can do is essential.
The world's oceans are boiling. We're about to find out what happens next.
Toward the Prevention of Global Warming: Measures Each Person Can Take
What you can do to prevent global warming
https://www.egmkt.co.jp/column/consumer/20210930_EG_183.html