Science Source

Distinctive climate signals in reanalysis of global ocean heat content

Presents the time evolution of the global ocean heat content for 1958 through 2009 from a new observation-based reanalysis of the ocean
Identifies volcanic eruptions and El Niño events as sharp cooling events punctuating a long-term ocean warming trend, while heating continues during the recent upper-ocean-warming hiatus, but the heat is absorbed in the deeper ocean
Finds that in the last decade, about 30% of the warming has occurred below 700 m, contributing significantly to an acceleration of the warming trend
Finds that the warming below 700 m remains even when the Argo observing system is withdrawn although the trends are reduced
Illustrates using sensitivity experiments that surface wind variability is largely responsible for the changing ocean heat vertical distribution