New record for ocean temperatures in 2023:historical record also in the Mediterranean

Ocean water temperature increased between 8 and 15 ZettaJoules compared to 2022

From 2023, negative records on the climate change front continue to arrive.Over the course of the past year, which according to surveys was the hottest ever, ocean temperatures have reached a new peak in water warming, highlighting a significant increase in heat content, stratification and salinity.This is what emerges from the study «New Record Ocean temperatures and related climate indicators», conducted by an international team which also includes researchers from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and ENEA.The temperature of ocean waters increased between 8 (according to NOAA calculation) and 15 (according to IAP-CAS calculation) ZettaJoule compared to the previous year, i.e. 2022, considering the layer between 0 and 2000 meters deep.One ZettaJoule is equivalent to double the amount of energy that powers the world economy every year.The variations in the findings, it is underlined in the study, are also attributable to the different calculation methodologies.In the context of this research, it was also observed how the Mediterranean Sea has reached its highest thermal value since the beginning of modern records:a historical record.Significant anomalies were also noted in surface temperatures, which can also be attributed in part to the short-term thermal fluctuations of the Pacific Ocean affected by the El Nino and El Nina phenomena since May 2023.