CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ahead of the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, ocean water temperatures have already risen to above-average levels.
Data taken this week in the main development region of the Atlantic Basin, the location where most tropical storms form, showed the ocean heat content is measuring numbers typically seen on August 10th. The measurements comes as global ocean temperatures continue to rise.
When water warms, it expands. Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami, said this warming worsens the impacts from sea-level rise, which has already produced higher sea levels because of melting ice.
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"If you have a foot of ocean water in your house, that's far worse than having none," McNoldy said. "Even though it's not a big number, but it's a very big difference."
McNoldy said we can all play a part in slowing down sea-level rise by lowering our greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse emissions, such as carbon, are trapped in the water and contribute to changes in our oceans.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will release its official outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday. Other researchers have already predicted an above-average hurricane season in part because of ocean temperatures.
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