The world's oceans are warming at an unprecedented rate, with the latest measurements showing a record-breaking 23 zettajoules' worth of heat absorbed in 2025 alone. This staggering amount is equivalent to the energy needed to boil 2 billion Olympic-sized swimming pools or power more than 200 times the electrical use of every person on the planet.
The oceans have been acting as the Earth's largest heat sink, absorbing over 90% of excess warming that's trapped in the atmosphere. While some of this heat warms the surface of the ocean, it also slowly travels down into deeper parts of the ocean, where it can remain for hundreds of years. This phenomenon is crucial for understanding how climate change is impacting our planet.
According to researchers, the oceans' ability to absorb and store heat makes them a key "thermostat" for the Earth. As a result, almost every year we set a new record for ocean heat content, as the oceans continue to soak up more and more heat from the atmosphere.
The study's authors used a combination of mathematical models and reams of data on ocean temperatures collected from around the world to estimate the amount of heat absorbed by the oceans in 2025. This included data from Argo floats, buoys, ship hulls, satellites, and even animals – including instruments placed on mammals that swim under ice.
Experts note that while surface temperatures are what most directly impact human societies, the amount of heat stored in deeper parts of the ocean is a critical metric for understanding climate change. "Ocean heat content is in many ways the most reliable thermostat of the planet," says one researcher.
The study's findings serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing impacts of climate change on our oceans and the planet as a whole. As Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean science at UC Santa Cruz, notes, "It's taken 100 years to get the oceans that warm at depth... We're going to pay this cost for a very, very long time, because we've already put the heat in the ocean."
The oceans have been acting as the Earth's largest heat sink, absorbing over 90% of excess warming that's trapped in the atmosphere. While some of this heat warms the surface of the ocean, it also slowly travels down into deeper parts of the ocean, where it can remain for hundreds of years. This phenomenon is crucial for understanding how climate change is impacting our planet.
According to researchers, the oceans' ability to absorb and store heat makes them a key "thermostat" for the Earth. As a result, almost every year we set a new record for ocean heat content, as the oceans continue to soak up more and more heat from the atmosphere.
The study's authors used a combination of mathematical models and reams of data on ocean temperatures collected from around the world to estimate the amount of heat absorbed by the oceans in 2025. This included data from Argo floats, buoys, ship hulls, satellites, and even animals – including instruments placed on mammals that swim under ice.
Experts note that while surface temperatures are what most directly impact human societies, the amount of heat stored in deeper parts of the ocean is a critical metric for understanding climate change. "Ocean heat content is in many ways the most reliable thermostat of the planet," says one researcher.
The study's findings serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing impacts of climate change on our oceans and the planet as a whole. As Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean science at UC Santa Cruz, notes, "It's taken 100 years to get the oceans that warm at depth... We're going to pay this cost for a very, very long time, because we've already put the heat in the ocean."
can you imagine what kinda damage that's gonna do to marine life? and the fact that animals are used in measurements is wild 
Man, I remember when climate change was still like, 'it's not that bad' 
. And you know what's wild? The deeper parts of the ocean can hold onto this heat for hundreds of years... it's like a slow-burning fire 
The ocean's been doing its thing for millions of years, and now we're messing with the thermostat? 
. I'm not sure what to make of this stuff, but one thing's for sure: it's time to take action and slow down that heat pump 
.
people are really starting to wake up about how bad climate change is doing to our planet and I'm like what took you guys so long lol. seriously though 23 zettajoules of heat absorbed by the oceans alone is insane and it's crazy that we've only just now realized the importance of ocean heat content in understanding climate change.
It's crazy to think that 90% of excess heat is just getting absorbed by the oceans without even breaking a sweat 
. We need to take this seriously, 'cause it's not just about our summers getting hotter, it's about the long-term effects on our planet 
. And let me tell you, those scientists are like, "Hey, we're gonna pay for this heat for centuries!" 
.
and it's not even like we can just turn off the thermostat or anything... 
i feel so bad for our future generations having to deal with this...
. And the worst part is, we already did this... We basically put all that heat in the ocean and now it's going to take a loooong time to cool down 
.
. It feels like we're just watching the clock tick away while oceans keep warming up in the background 
. We need to be super careful and come up with ways to reduce emissions ASAP if we want to avoid these kinds of record-breaking events in the future 
. The study highlights how surface temps are important, but the depth heat is where it's at 
. It's like, the oceans are warming up and it's going to take us FOREVER 
. But still, it's unsettling to think about all that heat being stored in the ocean. We need to keep working on reducing our emissions and taking care of our planet 
I mean come on, 23 zettajoules? That's just insane! They should be using more accurate units like gigawatts instead of zettajoules. I'm no expert but that kind of massive energy is gonna have some serious consequences on the planet 
.
. Like, yeah it's bad and all but what's the point of even talking about it? We're not gonna do anything about it anyway. Just a bunch of data points and models to make us feel guilty for existing. And btw 23 zettajoules is just a huge number, so what's the big deal? Can we please just focus on something else that's actually worth worrying about... like my student loan debt 
. I mean, 2 billion Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth of energy? That's insane! It makes me wonder if we're doing enough to reduce our carbon footprint and slow down this warming process 
. We need more research and action ASAP! 