A study published in Environmental Research Letters on January 28, 2025, reveals that ocean surface temperatures are warming at an alarming rate. The research indicates that sea surface temperatures are increasing four times faster than they did in the 1980s. Specifically, temperatures rose by approximately 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade in the late 1980s, but are now increasing by 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade.
Led by Professor Chris Merchant from the University of Reading, the study analyzed satellite data from 1980 to 2023. The researchers used data from 20 infrared radiometers and two microwave radiometers to create a globally accurate temperature trend.
The study attributes this accelerated warming to an increasing imbalance in Earth's energy budget, where more solar energy is absorbed than released back into space, largely due to rising greenhouse gas concentrations. According to the researchers, record-breaking ocean temperatures in 2023 and early 2024, during which global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight, can be partially attributed to this phenomenon. The study also found that 44% of the record warmth was attributable to the oceans absorbing heat at an accelerating rate.