2020 Ocean Heat Waves

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are prolonged extreme warm water events, defined as temperatures above the 90th percentile for at least five consecutive days. These events have increased since the early twentieth century, driven by a 2.3°F (1.3°C) rise in sea surface temperatures over the last 100 years. MHWs cause severe ecological damage, including coral bleaching, kelp forest collapses, and sea bird die-offs, and can disrupt industries through fishery closures. A notable example is "the Blob" in the Pacific Ocean (2013), which lasted 226 days and was 4.5°F (2.5°C) warmer than average.

• Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are defined as periods where ocean water temperatures are typically above the 90th percentile of their climatological distribution for at least five consecutive days.
• Global sea surface temperatures increased by 2.3°F (1.3°C) over the last century, with over 90 percent of planetary warming between 1971 and 2010 occurring in the ocean, thereby increasing the likelihood of MHWs.
• MHWs cause significant biological and economic disruptions, including the collapse of kelp forests, coral bleaching, unprecedented sea bird die-offs, shifts in fish stock locations, and the implementation of fishery closures and quota changes.
• The 2013 Pacific Ocean event known as "the Blob" is the longest MHW on record, lasting 226 days with temperatures 4.5°F (2.5°C) above average, resulting in toxic algal blooms and disruption of the fishing industry.
• Warm ocean temperatures contribute to the intensification of hurricanes and tropical storms; for instance, NOAA projected 19-25 named storms for the 2020 season, with 7-11 becoming hurricanes.

APA

Climate Central (2020). 2020 Ocean Heat Waves. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2020-ocean-heat-waves

Chicago

Climate Central. 2020 Ocean Heat Waves. 2020. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2020-ocean-heat-waves.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=2020 Ocean Heat Waves |date=26 August 2020 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2020-ocean-heat-waves |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral20202020, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{2020 Ocean Heat Waves}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2020-ocean-heat-waves}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }