Record-high ocean temperatures observed in 2023 could become the norm if the world moved into a climate that is 3.0°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, according to a new study.
From March 2023, the North Atlantic began to show extremely warm temperatures far exceeding anything seen in the past 40 years. As of August 2023, the North Atlantic was about 1.4°C warmer than the 982-2011 average.
Analysis of climate model projections showed that last year's extreme ocean conditions were similar to what scientists expect to be the average if global warming reaches 3°C of warming. Currently, global temperatures have risen by about 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels.
New research, published this month in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, examines the causes of the record-breaking ocean temperatures witnessed in 2023.
Read more at University of Reading
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