Importance of Ocean Heat
The Earth’s climate system may take some time to reflect the shift in its energy balance, much as a speeding car may take some time to stop once the driver presses the brakes. In other words, there is a temporal lag between the onset of an energy imbalance on the Earth and the climate’s full response to it. Even if greenhouse gas emissions were to be totally eliminated today, heat already stored in the oceans would ultimately be released, exposing the Earth to future surface warming.
OHC is being studied by scientists all over the world in order to better understand how to tackle climate change on a warming planet.Satellite equipment take highly exact measurements of the height of the ocean surface above the center of the Earth, a measurement generally referred to as “sea level,” to collect long-term information about the ocean’s temperature and currents. These data are combined to reveal the topography of the ocean’s surface (not to be confused with bathymetry, which is the relief on the bottom of the ocean).
Scientists are interested in ocean heat because it provides information on sea level rise. Warm water has a bigger volume than cold water because it is less dense, causing the ocean’s surface to rise in height. Thermal expansion is thought to be responsible for around half of the rise in sea level.Scientists utilize a variety of in situ (viewing phenomena and collecting data in the place where it occurs) temperature-sensing tools to acquire a more complete picture of sea level rise and OHC at different depths.
The thermosteric component of sea level change is calculated using the temperatures measured by these equipment, which is the amount that sea levels rise solely owing to temperature increases. As water heats, its volume expands, causing sea levels to rise.
Since the early 1700s, a variety of equipment have been employed to collect ocean data.
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