Dear Editor,
Scientists are concerned that recent rapid warming of the world’s oceans will contribute to global warming.This summer, the global ocean surface temperature reached a new high. It has never warmed up this quickly.Scientists are baffled as to why this has occurred.However, they are concerned that, when combined with other weather events, the global temperature could reach a concerning new level by the end of next year, according to scientists.
Warmer oceans can kill off marine life, lead to more extreme weather and raise sea levels. According to a study, the Earth has accumulated nearly as much heat in the last 10 years as it did in the previous 40 years, with the majority of the extra energy going into the oceans. One factor that may be influencing the amount of heat entering the oceans is a reduction in pollution from shipping.The International Maritime Organisation implemented a regulation in 2022 to reduce the sulphur content of ship fuel.This had an immediate impact, lowering the amount of aerosol particles released into the atmosphere.However, aerosols that pollute the air also help to reflect heat back into space, so removing them may have resulted in more heat entering the waters. Warmer oceans can kill off marine life, lead to more extreme weather and raise sea levels.
VijayKumar H K
[email protected]
Raichur, Karnataka
Environmentalist