Scientists believe that global sea surface temperatures will continue to increase over the next decade as greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere. Record High Annual Mean Surface Temperatures, 2015Last year, nearly all observed ocean surface temperatures registered above average because naturally occurring conditions caused by El Niño combined with human-induced warming. This excess energy has largely been sucked up by the oceans, which have a huge capacity to store heat. What Hotter Oceans BringThe oceans act as Earth’s enormous heat sponge, sheltering continents and the people who live on them from atmospheric extremes. In the meantime, warmer ocean temperatures may also increase the destructive potential of extreme weather, like cyclones and hurricanes.

Source: New York Times September 12, 2016 17:29 UTC