World Ocean Heat Content

The mystery of the world ocean heat content(1,2) continues. We heard this year that the world oceans had cooled between 2003 and 2005. Recently we are getting reports out of AGU fall meeting that the latest data set shows the world oceans warming since 2004 (though statistically not confirmed). If it pans out the we are still left with a big question as to what is going on.

From:
http://www.jodc.go.jp/project/GODAR/workshop2006/wscr339.pdf

Warming of the World Ocean, 1955-2006

Sydney Levitus

Director, World Data Center for Oceanography, Silver Spring

We describe the most recent estimates of the global integral of ocean
heat content through the third quarter of 2006. After cooling during
2003-2004 the ocean has begin to warm again although the warming is
not yet statistically significant.

with a little more (not much) information available from their AGU fall meeting abstract



I'm looking forward to an actual publication to read. Until then and to catch up to speed we should read this possibly key document (PDF). Updates to come.

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This will be a science blog about climate, climate change, and the role that humans might play in climate change. We will research and discuss articles in the literature and try to put research into perspective using non-jargony words. I expect you the readers to keep us honest to that promise by pointing out confusing language and concepts.