Ocean Warming Has Quadrupled Since 1980s, Study Shows

Global warming, rising ocean temperatures, climate change, natural disasters…these are all things we hear about on a daily basis, inciting fears of the imminent environmental apocalypse.

But when it comes down it, aside from the natural disasters, how often are you experiencing climate change and global warming on a firsthand, regular basis? Probably not that much. At least, it’s not a noticeable change, as such alterations on a grand scale take time to manifest.

Thankfully, we have scientists to monitor such events. And according to a new study, published on Environmental Research Letters, researchers discovered a grim reality – the ocean surface, a strong indicator of temperatures globally, has been rising in temperature at unprecedented levels.

Professor Chris Merchant, lead author at the University of Reading, said (via Phys.org):

"If the oceans were a bathtub of water, then in the 1980s, the hot tap was running slowly, warming up the water by just a fraction of a degree each decade. But now the hot tap is running much faster, and the warming has picked up speed. The way to slow down that warming is to start closing off the hot tap, by cutting global carbon emissions and moving towards net-zero."

So, how much faster is the ocean warming? In the 1980s, data showed a 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade rise; today, the data shows the temperatures are rising 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade.

The study accounted for the recent El Niño season of 2023 and 2024, which is a natural ocean warming event in the Pacific, and also contributed to 450 days straight of record-breaking global ocean temperatures. But still, when compared to past El Niños, the oceans warmed at a faster pace.

And don’t expect this to slow down. According to analysis of the study via Phys.org:

“It is plausible that the ocean temperature increase seen over the past 40 years will be exceeded in just the next 20 years.”

Will that be enough to notice a change? TBD.