Bleached massive coral ( Porites solida ) in Vilanguchalli island in Thoothukudi coast of Gulf of Mannar.
As the climate continues to warm and the mixed layer continues to thin, scientists might lose the ability to predict annual ocean surface temperatures. The mixed layer of the ocean which blankets the top 20 to 200 metres is becoming thinner each year, says a new study which warns that the continued loss of this buffer may lead to more frequent and destructive warming events such as marine heat waves. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder in the U.S. said the thickness of this top layer of the ocean is responsible for marine heat events.
Marine heat waves may become more intense, frequent: Scientists
According to the study, published in the journal Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the scientists found that this armour is thinning, causing the oceans to become more susceptible to rapid swings in temperature.
Houston: The mixed layer of the ocean which blankets the top 20 to 200 metres is becoming thinner each year, says a new study which warns that the continued loss of this buffer may lead to more frequent and destructive warming events such as marine heat waves.
Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder in the US said the thickness of this top layer of the ocean is responsible for marine heat events. The thicker this mixed layer, they said the more it can act as a buffer to shield the waters below from incoming hot air.
In the not-so-distant future, many lowland areas will be flooded and thousands of islands will disappear from the map, all thanks to sea-level rise due to climate change. For years, scientists have been warning about the potential danger it could pose. Now as per a recent study, hundreds of airports are also at risk due to sea-level rise that could cause a major disruption in transportation and connectivity.
As per scientists, the sea level is rising constantly with approximately 0.3 centimeters every year. In the last three decades, the sea level has risen 2.6 inches as per the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The new study that was published in the journal Climate Risk focused on the future of airports and found that over 260 of them will be at risk of coastal flooding by the end of this century. Around a dozen of them will be under waters while hundreds more could be in danger if the sea level rises dramatically in the coming years.