Record Heat for the Oceans in 2022

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the record heat observed in the oceans during 2022, exploring its implications for ocean heat content, sea level rise, and related environmental phenomena. Participants examine the effects of ocean warming on marine life and regional weather patterns, as well as seek resources for further understanding the relationship between temperature changes and ocean volume expansion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that ocean heat content (OHC) has reached record levels in 2022, surpassing previous years, and highlight the significance of this trend for Earth's climate system.
  • Several participants express a desire for tables or resources that correlate energy or temperature changes with volume expansion and sea level rise, indicating a need for quantitative data.
  • One participant references specific data regarding the volume increase associated with temperature changes in water, suggesting that salinity may affect the expansion characteristics of seawater.
  • Another participant mentions a study indicating that as oceans warm, fish species are relocating to cooler areas, linking ocean temperature changes to ecological impacts.
  • Discussion includes observations of unusual weather patterns in Canada, such as increased dryness and wildfires, which some participants connect to the broader context of ocean warming.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the occurrence of record ocean heat in 2022 and its potential implications, but there is no consensus on the specific mechanisms or quantitative relationships regarding sea level rise and ecological impacts. Multiple viewpoints and questions remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the availability of specific resources and data, and there are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about the effects of salinity on thermal expansion.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying climate science, oceanography, environmental science, and related fields, as well as individuals concerned with the ecological and societal impacts of climate change.

pinball1970
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TL;DR
From the abstract. "In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum."
"Changes in ocean heat content (OHC), salinity, and stratification provide critical indicators for changes in Earth’s energy and water cycles. These cycles have been profoundly altered due to the emission of greenhouse gasses and other anthropogenic substances by human activities, driving pervasive changes in Earth’s climate system. In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, the 0–2000 m OHC in 2022 exceeded that of 2021 by 10.9 ± 8.3 ZJ (1 Zetta Joules = 1021 Joules); and according to NCEI/NOAA data, by 9.1 ± 8.7 ZJ. Among seven regions, four basins (the North Pacific, North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and southern oceans) recorded their highest OHC since the 1950s."

Paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-023-2385-2

As of May 2023: https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/sst_daily/
 
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I wonder whether there is a table somewher that translates energy / temperature into expansion of volume / sea level rise.
 
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fresh_42 said:
I wonder whether there is a table somewher that translates energy / temperature into expansion of volume / sea level rise.
I had look and I found this for water (not sea water)

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-specific-volume-weight-d_661.html?vA=20&units=C

1C rise equates to 0.0002 Cm³ increase in volume if you look at the second graph in Fahrenheit. I took a tenth of the 60-70 increase.

361 million sqr km of Ocean on the planet.

The Salt in sea water will make the boiling higher so the expansion will be lower I guess.
 
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fresh_42 said:
I wonder whether there is a table somewher that translates energy / temperature into expansion of volume / sea level rise.
Chemical Oceanography, Riley & Skirrow, vol. 1, p. 103.
 
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Related to the warming ocean - some inland areas are drier than normal, especially up in Canada. Surprising is the unusual hot dry weather in eastern Canada, particularly in Nova Scotia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/05/30/canada-nova-scotia-fire-smoke/
Wildfires in southeastern Canada’s Nova Scotia province have damaged or destroyed 200 homes near Halifax while forcing more than 16,000 people to evacuate. Thick plumes of smoke are also finding their way into the northeastern United States.

The expansive fires in Nova Scotia are of unusual intensity for the region, fueled by abnormally hot and dry weather. Some places have seen little to no rain this month, and much of the maritime zone was already abnormally dry as of late April.

Of the fires burning in Nova Scotia, the largest is over 24,700 acres (10,000 hectares) and is still out of control.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wildfires-eastern-canada-affecting-air-quality-major-us/story?id=99723443
 
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