<
https://theconversation.com/marine-heatwaves-dont-just-hit-coral-reefs-they-can-cause-chaos-on-the-seafloor-211902>
"Most of us know what a heatwave feels like on land – sweltering heat for days.
But oceans get heatwaves too. When water temperature goes over a seasonal
threshold for five days or more, that’s a marine heatwave. They do their worst
damage in summer, when the ocean is already at its warmest, but they can occur
any time of year.
Over 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases has gone into our oceans. So
it’s no surprise marine heatwaves are getting much more intense and more
frequent. This year has been off the charts. From April this year, the world’s
average ocean temperature has been the highest ever recorded.
Since the 1980s, satellites have revolutionised ocean science by making it
possible to take daily measurements of ocean temperatures. But satellites watch
from above. They can’t see what’s happening below the surface.
Our new research explores what’s happening in deeper waters. It turns out,
marine heatwaves aren’t just on the surface. In the most devastating marine
heatwaves, heat can penetrate right down to the sea bed. Remarkably, some
heatwaves only affect the seafloor."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
