Oceans absorbs 90% of global heating, making them a stark indicator of the relentless march of the climate crisis,warn oceanographers
In the latest scientific study, researchers have revealed some shocking facts about world oceans that may trigger worst climate crises or extreme weather conditions.
A team of international scientists revealed on Friday, January 9, 2026, that the world’s oceans had absorbed a record amount of heat in 2025, reports AFP.
The alarming situation had created a priming condition for sea level rise, violent storms, and coral death.
The heat that accumulated in the oceans last year increased by approximately 23 zettajoules—an amount equivalent to nearly four decades of global primary energy consumption.
According to researchers, the latest findings published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences—the highest reading of any year since modern record keeping began in the early 1950s.
To derive these calculations, more than 50 scientists from 31 research institutions used multiple sources including a thousands-strong fleet of floating robots that track ocean changes to depths of 2,000 meters.
Co-author of the study, Karina von Schuckmann, informed that “peering into the depths, rather than at the fluctuations on the surface, provides a better indicator of how oceans are responding to sustained pressure from humanity´s emissions.”
Von, oceanographer from French research institute Mercator Ocean International told AFP that, “The picture is clear and results for 2025 confirm that the ocean continues to warm.”
As per scientists, oceans are a key regulator of Earth’s climate because they soak up 90 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere caused by humanity’s release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
