The Oceans are Getting Warmer Every Year

According to a study released earlier this month by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the world's oceans reached their warmest and most acidic levels on record in 2021. The report adds to the evidence that the Earth is warming at an alarming rate. It is a record that is broken year after year. This could have a significant impact on the Earth's climate.

The oceans and atmosphere work together to shape and regulate the Earth's climate. The Earth absorbs solar radiation and energy, converting some of it into thermal energy or heat. The sun's heat is absorbed by the Earth's surface, which includes both land and oceans. What isn't absorbed is reflected back into space.

Because oceans cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface, they absorb the most heat. Water has a heat capacity of 4.186 Joules/gram °C, which means that it can absorb four times more solar radiation than air before its temperature rises by one degree. Water bodies absorb approximately 90% of the Earth's accumulated heat. As a result, our oceans play a significant role in keeping the Earth cool.

The oceans also produce half of the planet's oxygen and absorb roughly one-third of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, mitigating the effects of global warming. As a result, the oceans serve as Earth's lungs.