Overheating oceans: Have we reached a climate tipping point?
By Sanjana Gajbhiye
Earth.com staff writer

The oceans did not behave normally in 2023. They got too hot, stayed hot too long, and covered almost the entire planet with heat. It wasn’t just a spike in temperature. Scientists think this might be the start of something bigger – a change in how Earth’s climate works.

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Signs of a climate tipping point
“The 2023 MHWs may mark a fundamental shift in ocean-atmosphere dynamics, potentially serving as an early warning of an approaching tipping point in Earth’s climate system,” wrote the study authors.

A climate tipping point means crossing a threshold where the system can’t recover on its own. For the oceans, that could lead to more frequent heatwaves, collapsing food webs, and dwindling fish populations.

And the impact won’t stay confined to the sea. Warmer oceans hold less oxygen, disrupt the exchange of heat and moisture with the atmosphere, and help drive extreme weather – affecting everything from storms and rainfall to droughts on land.

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