Logan Broshears

ATMO 1020

E-Portfolio: What Impact the Rising Sea Temperature Has

Now more than ever, the temperature of our global seas are increasing at a dramatic rate

and is affecting our environment drastically. National Geographic gives us a brief overview on

how and when it happened, stating “​Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution a few

hundred years ago, humans have burned massive amounts of fossil fuels; cut down ​huge swaths

of forest​; and undertaken many other activities that pump heat-trapping carbon dioxide into

Earth’s atmosphere. In response, the planet has warmed up.​” (“Ocean Warming Explained”

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/critical-issues-sea-temperature-rise/

Alejandra Borunda, August 14, 2019).

The sea temperature is rising at an alarming rate and is affecting our environment

dramatically. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park of the Austrailian Government elaborates on

how much the temperature is rising and what it is affecting, saying “Over the past century, the

average global temperature warmed by more than 0.85 degrees Celsius, with most of the

warming occurring since the 1970s. All of the warmest 20 years on record have occurred since

1990. In Australia, mean surface air temperature warmed by 0.9°C since 1910. Our sea surface

temperatures are increasing too, as 90 per cent of the excess heat in our atmosphere is stored in

oceans.Sea surface temperatures in north-eastern Australia warmed, on average, by 0.12 degrees

per decade since 1950. In the Coral Sea over the past century, 15 of the 20 warmest years

occurred in the past 20 years.The sea surface temperature on the Great Barrier Reef, when
averaged across the last 30 years, has increased by about 0.4 degrees, compared to records

averaged across 30 years in the late 1800s. In 2016, sea surface temperatures on the Great Barrier

Reef were the hottest ever recorded for the months of February, March and April.Analysis of

coral cores in centuries-old corals suggests current temperatures are warmer now than over the

past three centuries.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that by 2035 the

average sea surface temperature will be warmer than any previously recorded, and by 2100 sea

temperatures off north-eastern Australia could be about 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the

present average. Rising sea temperatures are not expected to be uniform across the Great Barrier

Reef. Rather, the number, size and duration of warm pools (or hotspots) are all expected to

increase.”(​http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/our-work/threats-to-the-reef/climate-change/sea-temperatu

re​ GBRMPA, 2018). Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef isn’t the only part of our environment

being affected and is just an example of what is to come if this rising temperature continues.

This begs the question of the rising sea temperature’s significance to us. While a few

degrees Celsius may not seem like much to begin with, the impact it will make in our daily lives

is shocking. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) states that “Ocean

warming leads to deoxygenation – a reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the ocean –

and sea-level rise – resulting from the thermal expansion of sea water and continental ice

melting. The rising temperatures, coupled with ocean acidification (the decrease in pH of the

ocean due to its uptake of CO2), affect marine species and ecosystems and, consequently, the

fundamental benefits humans derive from the ocean.”

(​https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/ocean-warming​ Laffoley, D. and Baxter, J.M.

2016). Below is an image that gives and broader view on how the ocean warming is affecting us.
Where exactly is this warming taking place? According to NOAA (National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration), “​Worldwide, most ocean basins had higher-than-average heat

content in 2017, according to the ​State of the Climate in 2017​, consistent with the long-term

trend of ocean heat uptake due to global warming. Exceptions include the central South Pacific

and the western tropical Indian Ocean, a feature that the ​State of the Climate ​authors attributed to

an unusual eastward flow of warm surface water back toward the other side of the basin.

(Because of the Earth’s rotation, prevailing surface winds and currents near the equator are

generally westward).”

(​https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-ocean-heat-conte

nt​ LuAnn Dahlman & Rebecca Lindsey, August 1st, 2018). Here is an image that depicts and

easier way to understand where it is taking place globally.

Awareness needs to be raised because the impact this rising sea temperature has is real and can

jeopardize our society. All of the data points to this being true so there is no denying it. Do what

is necessary or face the consequences of our rising sea temperature such as the destruction of

nature, growing sea levels, and increased odds of extreme weather.