A new study describes the confluence of factors behind the 2023 record-high global sea surface temperatures. This work advances efforts to predict and prepare for marine heatwaves, which pose severe risks to marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and global weather patterns. In 2023, global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) reached unprecedented levels, setting multiple records from March through August. NOAA’s Daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (DOISST) data highlights a link between these record-high SSTs and widespread marine heatwaves. In the new study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, scientists discovered that these extreme conditions were due to a combination of long-term global warming, a natural climate pattern called the Pacific-Atlantic-Arctic (PAA) mode, and the transition from cooler La Niña conditions to warmer El Niño conditions.
These new insights build on past research that primarily focused on individual climate phenomena. By examining the combined impact of ongoing global warming, natural climate variability, and specific oceanic conditions, the researchers enhanced the understanding of marine heatwaves and their future impacts. The authors of this study include researchers at University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), North Carolina State University, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, and NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research. UMCP’s James Carton and Ligang Chen are funded through a grant from the Climate Program Office’s Climate Observations and Monitoring (COM) program that aims to improve the representation of critical atmospheric processes in our weather and climate models.
For more information, contact Clara Deck.