Climate Change is steadily contributing to heating up the Earth, and in the latest, scientists have sounded the alarm over ocean temperatures, which as per European Union’s climate change service Copernicus have hit their hottest ever recorded temperature.
Beating a 2016 record, the daily global sea surface temperatures have reached 20.96C, which is far above the average for this time of the year, reports BBC. In 2016, a record was set when the naturally occurring El Niño was in full swing.
Oceans play an important role in the grand scheme of things. They are a vital climate regulator, soaking up heat, producing half the Earth’s oxygen and driving weather patterns.
Warmer temperatures can negatively affect these abilities. Water loses some of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide upon heating up, this means that the gas which contributes to warming the planet stays in the atmosphere. This can also accelerate the melting of glaciers, which in turn flow into oceans, finally contributing to rising sea levels.
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