Earth was on legit fire last year (in case you were too overwhelmed from the coronavirus pandemic to notice), with heatwaves in Siberia, wildfires on the West Coast, and hurricanes. We now have some statistics that tell the damage in a more detailed and clear picture.
The total heat present in the upper oceans last year was greater than any other year succeeding 1950. Scientists published these findings in the Journal of Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The other warming years were 2017, 2018, and 2019. We can see all succeeding years to be hotter than before.
Data shows we see an overall increase of 1.2 degrees Celsius since the 1950s, which is increasing at the rate of another 0.2 degrees Celsius each decade. It is estimated that by 2030, this will surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius level if this continues to happen.
What's more, we see that oceans have absorbed 1021 joules of additional heat as compared to 2019, having the highest thermal content since 1955 records. This equals an overall ocean warming of 61 times of all the electricity that is generated in the world.
Where Does the Heat Come From?
The fueled Pacific Ocean typhoons, and earth atmosphere with marine ecosystem changes and intense rainfall events with algal blooms as well as seal pup stranding are all some depictions as of now. The study published in the journal gathered all findings from floating drifters, moored ocean buoys, and shipboard instruments.
Researchers studying the ocean and atmosphere have concluded that carbon emissions produced by humans serve as the major cause behind this change. The non-renewable resource consumption of coal, oil, and natural gas is another major reason why we see this aggravated change in the climate and ocean warming.
This is an alarming state that has already crossed the deadline – therefore, countries need to take the right action to control this deadly threat. For example, countries like Pakistan are planting trees to control the damage caused by carbon emissions. We need to learn from such examples and bring forth practical solutions to save our generations from catastrophe.
