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 Climate Change Indicators: Oceans
Covering about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the
world’s oceans have a two-way relationship with weather and
climate. The oceans influence the weather on local to global
scales, while changes in climate can fundamentally alter
many properties of the oceans. This chapter examines how
some of these important characteristics of the oceans have
changed over time.
As greenhouse gases trap more energy from the sun, the
oceans are absorbing more heat, resulting in an increase in
sea surface temperatures and rising sea level. Changes in
ocean temperatures and currents brought about by climate
change will lead to alterations in climate patterns around
the world. For example, warmer waters may promote the
development of stronger storms in the tropics, which can
cause property damage and loss of life. The impacts
associated with sea level rise and stronger storms are
especially relevant to coastal communities. |
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Ocean systems
Although the oceans help reduce climate change by storing
large amounts of carbon dioxide, increasing levels of
dissolved carbon are changing the chemistry of seawater and
making it more acidic. Increased ocean acidity makes it more
difficult for certain organisms, such as corals and
shellfish, to build their skeletons and shells. These
effects, in turn, could substantially alter the biodiversity
and productivity of ocean ecosystems.
Changes in ocean systems generally occur over much longer
time periods than in the atmosphere, where storms can form
and dissipate in a single day. Interactions between the
oceans and atmosphere occur slowly over many months to
years, and so does the movement of water within the oceans,
including the mixing of deep and shallow waters. Thus,
trends can persist for decades, centuries, or longer. For
this reason, even if greenhouse gas emissions were
stabilized tomorrow, it would take many more years—decades
to centuries—for the oceans to adjust to changes in the
atmosphere and the climate that have already occurred. |
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Summary of Key Points |
 Ocean
Heat - Three independent analyses show that the amount
of heat stored in the ocean has increased substantially
since the 1950s. Ocean heat content not only determines sea
surface temperature, but also affects sea level and
currents. |
 Sea
Surface Temperature - Ocean surface temperatures
increased around the world during the 20th century. Even
with some year-to-year variation, the overall increase is
clear, and sea surface temperatures have been consistently
higher during the past three decades than at any other time
since reliable observations began in the late 1800s. |
 Sea
Level - When averaged over all of the world’s oceans,
sea level has risen at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an
inch per decade since 1880. The rate of increase has
accelerated in recent years to more than an inch per decade.
Changes in sea level relative to the land vary by region.
Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most along
the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf coast, where
some stations registered increases of more than 8 inches
between 1960 and 2015. Sea level has decreased relative to
the land in parts of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. |
 Coastal
Flooding - Flooding is becoming more frequent along the
U.S. coastline as sea level rises. Nearly every site
measured has experienced an increase in coastal flooding
since the 1950s. The rate is accelerating in many locations
along the East and Gulf coasts. The Mid-Atlantic region
suffers the highest number of coastal flood days and has
also experienced the largest increases in flooding. |
 Ocean
Acidity - The ocean has become more acidic over the past
few decades because of increased levels of atmospheric
carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the water. Higher acidity
affects the balance of minerals in the water, which can make
it more difficult for certain marine animals to build their
protective skeletons or shells. |
 A
Closer Look: Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast - As sea
level rises, dry land and wetlands can turn into open water.
Along many parts of the Atlantic coast, this problem is made
worse by low elevations and land that is already sinking.
Between 1996 and 2011, the coastline from Florida to New
York lost more land than it gained. |
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EPA Page |
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This is the
EPA page for this topic. To see if the Trump
administration has changed the EPA page, simply click the
link and compare the information with this page. If you
notice changes were made to the EPA page, please post a
comment. Thanks. |
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Additional Climate Change Information |
Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change
and carbon dioxide.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice. |
Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of carbon dioxide
and climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice. |
Environmental Group Warns Earth's Health at Risk
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
A report by the World Wildlife Fund looked at thousands of animal populations
and found they have dropped significantly in 40 years. |
Sea Levels Rising at Fastest Rate in 3,000 years
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
A group of scientists say sea levels are rising at record rates. Another group
found that January temperatures in the Arctic reached a record high. |
Capturing CO2 Gas Is Not Easy
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
Most scientists agree that carbon-dioxide gas is partly to blame for climate
change: rising global temperatures. But capturing the CO2 gas released by power
stations is costly and difficult. |
Growth, Climate Change Threaten African Plants and
Animals
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of climate change.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
Researchers believe Africa may lose as much as 30 percent of its animal and
plant species by the end of this century. |
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