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By Vivek Saini
Claim 1: The sun mainly warms the ocean, implying that human activity doesn’t play a role.
Fact 1: While the Sun is the primary energy source for Earth’s climate system, it’s crucial to understand that human activity significantly influences how this energy is trapped and distributed, thereby playing a significant role in ocean warming.
Claim 2: The ocean may also be geothermally warmed from below. This may explain the El Niño/La Niña cycle.
Fact 2: Geothermal vents do contribute some heat to the oceans, but their impact is overshadowed by solar radiation and the effect of human-caused warming. It’s crucial to understand that El Niño/La Niña cycles are natural phenomena primarily driven by ocean circulation patterns, not solely by geothermal activity.
Claim 3: The atmosphere warms nothing less than the ocean surface’s top millimeter.
Fact 3: The atmosphere plays a crucial role in warming the oceans. The warmed atmosphere transfers heat to the ocean surface through conduction, radiation, and evaporation, a process that significantly contributes to ocean heat transfer.
Claim Post:
What does the post claim?
In one of his viral X posts, climate science contrarian Steve Milloy tweeted that NASA is lying about climate change’s impact on ocean heat. He argues that the sun primarily warms the ocean, geothermal activity might also contribute, and the atmosphere has a negligible effect on ocean warming, affecting only the top millimeter. He also tagged a research article highlighting the complex interactions and contributions to ocean heat content, including solar radiation, atmospheric interactions, and, to a lesser extent, geothermal heat. Overall, while the sun is indeed the primary source of ocean heat, the role of the atmosphere in warming the ocean, especially in climate change, is significant and well-supported by scientific evidence. Geothermal heating plays a minor role in comparison to these factors.
What are the facts?
While reviewing the claims made by Steve Milloy, it is essential to consider the scientific consensus on the factors contributing to ocean warming. Steve’s social media post presents several misconceptions about what drives ocean warming. While the Sun is undeniably the ultimate energy source for Earth’s climate, we should focus on how this energy is trapped and distributed. Here, human activity plays a starring role. Greenhouse gas emissions act like a blanket, trapping solar energy and causing the planet, including the oceans, to warm. Milloy also mentions geothermal activity as a potential contributor, but its impact pales compared to solar radiation and human-induced warming. He downplays the atmosphere’s role, suggesting it only warms a thin surface layer. In reality, the warmed atmosphere transfers heat to the entire ocean depth through conduction, radiation, and evaporation. Though not explicitly mentioned by him, the research article Milloy linked aligns with established science by highlighting the multifaceted nature of ocean heat content, including solar radiation, atmospheric interactions, and, to a lesser extent, geothermal heat.
The Role of the Sun in Ocean Warming
The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system. Solar radiation heats the Earth’s surface, warming the atmosphere and the oceans. However, while the Sun provides the power, the way this energy is trapped and distributed across the planet is significantly influenced by human activities. This is due to the greenhouse effect, a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. The greenhouse effect, driven by carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions, traps this heat in the atmosphere and increases the global temperature. The oceans then absorb this trapped heat, significantly increasing ocean heat content. According to NASA, over 90% of the excess heat generated by global warming is absorbed by the oceans, leading to higher sea surface temperatures and global weather patterns.
Therefore, while the Sun is the primary energy source, it’s crucial to understand that human activities substantially impact how this energy affects the planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also supports this view, emphasizing that human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gasses, are the primary drivers of recent global warming. This human-induced warming is a significant contributor to the increase in ocean temperatures, debunking the myth that the sun is the sole driver of ocean warming.
Geothermal Activity and its Impact on Ocean Warming
Geothermal heat, generated from the Earth’s internal heat sources such as volcanic activity and underwater hydrothermal vents, does contribute to ocean warming. However, the overall impact of geothermal heat is relatively minor compared to solar radiation and the warming effects of the atmosphere. Geothermal vents release heat and minerals into the ocean, but this contribution is localized and small globally. Most of the heat absorbed by the oceans comes from the Sun and is modulated by atmospheric conditions.
Changes in ocean circulation and sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean primarily drive the El Niño and La Niña phenomena. These cycles are natural occurrences influenced by the interaction between the ocean and atmosphere rather than geothermal heat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) clarifies that while geothermal heat plays a role in ocean dynamics, it is not a significant factor in global ocean warming or driving El Niño/La Niña cycles. These cycles are complex interactions involving ocean currents, sea surface temperatures, and atmospheric conditions.
Atmospheric Warming and Ocean Heat Transfer
The atmosphere plays a crucial role in transferring heat to the ocean. Heat from the atmosphere is transferred to the ocean surface through conduction, radiation, and evaporation. This process warms the top millimeter and extends to greater depths over time through mixing and convection. As greenhouse gasses trap more heat in the atmosphere, this heat is increasingly transferred to the ocean, leading to higher sea surface temperatures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that human activities have significantly increased atmospheric temperatures, contributing to ocean warming. It’s important to note that the atmosphere warms not just the top millimeter, as claimed, but the entire ocean depth through these heat transfer processes. This interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean is a key component of the global climate system and is well-documented by scientific research.
Heat exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean is a dynamic process that affects weather patterns, sea levels, and marine ecosystems. Human activities’ warming of the atmosphere accelerates this heat transfer, contributing to the overall increase in ocean temperatures.
References:
https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6
http://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-ocean-heat-content
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/enso
https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ocean-heat
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