--- title: "The Oceans Are Now Hotter Than at Any Point in Recorded History, Scientists Warn" description: "Hot Tub Earth The evidence is now irrefutable. Oceans are hotter than ever before — the direct result of global warming. According to a new study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, the globe experienced another record year in 2021 — “the hottest ever recorded by humans” — with all oceans around the […]" date: "2022-01-11" modified: "2022-01-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/oceans-hotter-recorded-history" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "climate change" - "global warming" - "ocean temperatures" - "the digest" --- # The Oceans Are Now Hotter Than at Any Point in Recorded History, Scientists Warn ![According to a recent study, the globe's oceans experienced another record year in 2021 — "the hottest ever recorded by humans."]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Hot Tub Earth The evidence is irrefutable. The oceans are hotter than ever before — the direct result of global warming. According to a [new study]() published in the journal *Advances in Atmospheric Sciences*, the Earth's oceans experienced another record year in 2021 — "the hottest ever recorded by humans" — with all major bodies of water around the world experiencing record heat for the their top 6,500 feet of water. And that's despite cooling waters in the Pacific caused by a La Niña event, as [*The Guardian* points out](). All told, it's an alarming trend. The second hottest year on record was — you guessed it — 2020. The third? 2019. ## Climate Catastrophe Humanity, needless to say, is almost certainly at fault. "The ocean heat content is relentlessly increasing, globally, and this is a primary indicator of human-induced climate change," Kevin Trenberth, climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado and co-author, told *The Guardian*. With warming oceans comes an array of worrying new weather patterns, including [megastorms](), [devastating hurricanes](), and [severe flooding](). Oceans are first in line, bearing almost a third of harmful carbon dioxide gases human activities release into the atmosphere, according to *The Guardian*. The warming effect was most noticeable in the Atlantic and Southern oceans, according to the researchers. The Pacific wasn't spared either, though, and has seen "dramatic" increases for the last 30 or so years. Put simply, it's time to act. "Until we reach net zero emissions, that heating will continue, and we’ll continue to break ocean heat content records, as we did this year," co-author Michael Mann, climate scientist at Penn State University, told the British newspaper. **READ MORE:** [Hottest ocean temperatures in history recorded last year]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on climate change:** *[Guy Testing Life-Extending Gene Therapy on Himself Admits That Environmental Catastrophe May Pose Problem]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()