There is a lot of life in the Atlantic Ocean, dark waters with many wondrous creatures. In addition, over 90 percent of the world’s oceans are not known to scientists, as only 5 percent have been explored. Most ocean elements are exciting but some are a cause for alarm. For example, a temperature change has stirred up some questions.
Changes in the Atlantic Ocean
Many know it’s no surprise to scientists that they’re warning about climate change, which is the result of notably increasing temperatures in recent years. The past year has seen record highs, and seemingly each year brings hotter and more intense summers. But there is something different about the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean is Cooling
The Atlantic Ocean has been dropping at a ‘record speed,’ scientists find. This time of year, the Atlantic Ocean has been 1 to 2 degrees cooler than it should. It all sounds like a small change, but scientists aren’t sure why it’s happening, and that’s alarming. Postdoctoral student Frans Philip Tuchen from the University of Miami explains: “We’ve gone through the list of possible mechanisms and nothing fits the box yet.”
NOAA Data on the Atlantic Ocean
The strong El niño weather between 2023 and 2024 has caused the Atlantic Ocean to set record highs since March 2023.. But data from the NOAA shows temperatures have been dropping since May, and La Niña has been coming earlier than usual; scientists are wondering if the shift in temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is due to this. Typically, the transition happens around September, but this year it came early and has left the Atlantic Ocean and other water bodies vulnerable to other extreme temperature change.
Intense Hurricane Season
However, these weather pattern are hard to predict and they affect a number of factors including trade winds, solar heating and rainfall. In fact, these unpredictable changes in the Atlantic Ocean could lead to more or less rain, or more or less hurricanes, according to experts.In addition, the early shift in weather patterns has been termed a ‘tug of war’ between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific ‘trying to cool itself and the Atlantic trying to warm it,’ said Michael McPhaden of NOAA.
Carbon Dioxide is a Major Contributor
Part of climate change is partially man made, in that we contributed to it through harsh chemicals and improper disposal. But there are other natural weather patterns that happen every 100,000 years, and every 11,000 years.For example, Earth has gone through warm, or ‘interglacial’ periods and cold periods, or ice ages, once every 100,000 years or so for at least 1 million years. Their research has taught scientists that carbon dioxide is a big factor in ice ages and the Earth’s extreme temperature changes.
Climate Changes
At the same time, scientists think the Pacific Northwest United States was warm and dry, the Southwest was cool and wet, about 11,000 years ago. Furthermore, all of those changes are also a result of population and urbanization — which unfortunately create high levels of carbon dioxide, while also killing trees and greenery that suck up many of those gases.
Plant Life of the Atlantic Ocean
Fortunately, there are plankton and algae all over the Pacific, Atlantic, and all other Oceans that perform the same service. Unfortunately, such unpredictable changes may have more dire consequences and reduce plant life. In either case, scientists warn of a colder, more intense winter, plus a potentially crueler hurricane season.
Weather Change Preparedness
Various ways to get prepared to weather related dangers. Some examples include:
To get you through the hard times, stock up on Non perishable groceries like canned soups, freeze dried fruits and vegetables, dry goods like beans or oats, and well preserved meats such as beef, turkey or fish jerky.
- Make sure you have emergency candles.
- Keep that in mind: always have flashlights with working batteries.
- Duct tape and cardboard for windows and doors are used for hurricane protection.
- Make sure it’s strapped down and in a waterproof casing.
- Have your windows and doors checked to make sure they’re properly insulated.
- Keep jugs or bottled water.
- If you live in an area that regularly sees power outages, look at a generator.
- You should make sure all prescriptions are filled and up to date.
- Keep a first aid kit, garbage bags, wipes and hand sanitizer.
Keep important documents handy and don’t wash or blow them away if there is a disaster.
And lastly, make yourself aware of changing weather patterns in your local area and to the Atlantic Ocean, because these can impact cities and worldwide production of crops.