Changes in ocean salinity intensify global ocean warming 2020 annual report released
Recently, led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, an international research team composed of 13 research units around the world released the first international research report on changes in the global marine environment (temperature and salinity) covering the entire year of 2020.
The report pointed out that the ocean will continue to warm up in 2020, becoming the warmest year since the modern ocean observation record; the ocean's "salinity to saltiness, lightness and desalination" change situation intensified, and the vertical stratification of the sea continued to increase.
More than 90% of the heat of global warming is absorbed by the ocean, and ocean heat content has become one of the best indicators for judging global warming.
The latest data shows that compared with 2019, in 2020, the heat absorbed by the upper 2000 meters of the global ocean has increased by 2×1022 joules. This heat can boil the water of 1.3 billion 1.5-liter electric kettles at the same time; the past 80 years In each decade, the oceans are warmer than the previous decade; the warming of the oceans also increases strong typhoons, hurricanes and extreme rainfall.
In addition, the strengthening of ocean stratification will inhibit the ocean's vertical heat exchange and dissolved oxygen transport, which will further increase global temperature and affect the health of marine ecosystems.
In addition, there will be a slight decline in global carbon emissions in 2020, but the global ocean temperature will continue to increase and reach a record high; due to the slow and lagging nature of the ocean’s response to climate change, past carbon emissions will cause ocean warming and other impacts. For at least decades.
This phenomenon highlights the important role of the ocean in global climate change.
(Headquarters reporter Shuai Junquan)