댓글 0
기사입력 : 2024.04.13 23:36
In the wake of unprecedentedly high temperatures recorded in March, scientists are issuing dire warnings regarding the significant warming of the world's oceans, expressing grave concerns over its potentially catastrophic implications for global climate dynamics.
The latest data from the European Observatory Copernicus reveals that ocean temperatures surged to an all-time high in March, averaging 21.07 degrees Celsius at sea level, excluding polar regions. Over the past year, this relentless escalation in oceanic warmth poses imminent threats to marine ecosystems. It exacerbates atmospheric moisture levels, leading to heightened volatility in weather patterns characterized by intense winds and torrential rainfall.
Vidar Helgesen, executive secretary of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, acknowledges the alarming pace of these changes and emphasizes the urgent imperative to address oceanic warming. Speaking at the Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, attended by 1,500 scientists and representatives from various states and organizations, Helgesen underscores the pressing need for enhanced real-time monitoring and research efforts.
Experts highlight the pivotal role of oceans in mitigating the impacts of human-induced climate change, having absorbed approximately 90% of the excess heat generated since the onset of the industrial era. Yet, there are growing concerns regarding the ocean's capacity to sustain this absorption indefinitely, as Cristina Gonthaleth Arro, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona, warns.
A recent report indicates that oceans absorbed a staggering amount of heat in 2023, equivalent to the energy required to boil water in "billions of Olympic-sized swimming pools." As the Ocean Decade (2021-2030) unfolds, a primary objective is to deepen our understanding of ocean warming and its intricate ramifications to mitigate its effects.
However, significant gaps persist in our comprehension of oceanic processes, with only a quarter of the world's seabed mapped. Holgesen stresses the need to expand mapping efforts and directly monitor climate-induced changes.
The World Meteorological Organization reports that over 90% of the world's oceans experienced heatwaves in 2023, impacting climate and ecosystems across diverse geographical regions.
Jean-Pierre Gattuso, an expert at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), warns that current trajectories of ocean warming pose profound questions for scientists, raising doubts about the extent to which we may have underestimated the impending challenges of global warming.
ⓒ 저널인뉴스 - jink & jinkorea.kr 무단전재-재배포금지