Global sea surface temperatures were the warmest ever measured in June.
The world’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for June, breaking the previous high mark set in 2005, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Additionally, the combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for June was second-warmest on record. The global records began in 1880.
Global sea surface temperature anomalies August 10, 2009.
The world's oceans have been rapidly warming for the past 25 years. The warming is obvious when a map of temperature anomalies from 25 years ago is compared with today's map. (Note there are El Nino effects in the comparison.)
Global sea surface temperature anomalies 25 years ago - July, 1984
By NOAA FishOutofWater
Global Climate Statistics from NOAA's Climate Data Center
• The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for June 2009 was the second warmest on record, behind 2005, 1.12 degrees F (0.62 degree C) above the 20th century average of 59.9 degrees F (15.5 degrees C).
• Separately, the global ocean surface temperature for June 2009 was the warmest on record, 1.06 degrees F (0.59 degree C) above the 20th century average of 61.5 degrees F (16.4 degrees C).
• Each hemisphere broke its June record for warmest ocean surface temperature. In the Northern Hemisphere, the warm anomaly of 1.17 degrees F (0.65 degree C) surpassed the previous record of 1.12 degrees F (0.62 degree C), set in 2005. The Southern Hemisphere’s increase of 0.99 degree F (0.55 degree C) exceeded the old record of 0.92 degree F (0.51 degree C), set in 1998.
• The global land surface temperature for June 2009 was 1.26 degrees F (0.70 degree C) above the 20th century average of 55.9 degrees F (13.3 degrees C), and ranked as the sixth-warmest June on record.
The record high surface temperatures are mirrored by record high ocean heat content measurements. Ocean heat content is a measurement of the change in stored heat of the oceans from a baseline level. El Nino and La Nina events temporarily affect global sea surface temperatures, but they have little effect on the total heat content of the ocean. Ocean heat content measurements are a better way of observing the effects of global warming on the oceans than sea surface temperatures because short-term variability caused by El Nino is greatly reduced. It is also possible to include the effects of melting ice in heat content measurements.
Calculations are to correct for changes in measurement technology over time. The changes in technology have caused abrupt changes in apparent measured heat content levels that must be corrected for. These corrections have proven to be problematic (PDF) but the general trend of increasing heat content is very clear.
By FishOutofWater
The heating of the oceans by global warming becomes clearer when satellite altimetry measurements of sea surface height are used to calculate the heat content of the upper 750 meters of the oceans (PDF).
Ocean heat content surface to 750meters calculated from sea surface height measurements.
By FishOutofWater
Reasonable people cannot deny that global warming is a real and growing problem. Record high sea surface temperatures and continuously increasing ocean heat content levels are undeniable.
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