Oceans absorb record heat, 40 times global energy use
Part of composite article Oceans Absorb 23 Zettajoules of Heat as Tanzania's Seaweed Farmers Lose Their Harvests View full article →
The world’s oceans absorbed a record 23 zettajoules of heat last year, a report has found. A zettajoule is a unit of energy equal to one sextillion joules.
This amount is almost 40 times greater than all the energy humanity used that year.
The massive addition of thermal energy is causing sea levels to rise and oceans to become more acidic. These changes make ocean waters hotter, higher, and less hospitable for life.