Climate Indicators

Climate change: Understanding the threat of ocean warming

Jan 19, 2022

A longboard surfer walks out of the ocean during a very low tide at Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas, California, U.S.

Ocean warming threatens weather systems. Image: REUTERS/Mike Blake

Kevin Trenberth

Distinguished Scholar, NCAR; Affiliate Faculty, University of Auckland

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Hurricane Ida did $74 billion in damage from Louisiana to the northeastern U.S. in 2021.

Hurricane Ida satellite view. Image: RAMMB/CIRA/Colorado State University

Global ocean heat content change in the upper 2000m.

Ocean heat content in the upper 2,000 meters of the world’s oceans since 1958, relative to the 1981-2010 average. Image: Lijing Cheng

Scientists are concerned about the stability of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, which holds back large amounts of land ice.

Thwaites Glacier. Image: NASA

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National contributions. Latest location of operational floats.

Argo floats keep tabs on ocean changes around the world. Image: Howard Freeland, 2018, CC BY-ND

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Climate Indicators SDG 13: Climate Action Ocean Antarctica

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