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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L02604, doi:10.1029/2004GL021592, 2005

Warming of the world ocean, 1955–2003

S. Levitus

National Oceanographic Data Center, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


J. Antonov

National Oceanographic Data Center, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


T. Boyer

National Oceanographic Data Center, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA


Abstract

We present new estimates of the variability of ocean heat content based on: a) additional data that extends the record to more recent years; b) additional historical data for earlier years. During 1955–1998 world ocean heat content (0–3000 m) increased 14.5 × 1022 J corresponding to a mean temperature increase of 0.037°C at a rate of 0.20 Wm−2 (per unit area of Earth's total surface area).

Received 22 September 2004; accepted 8 December 2004; published 22 January 2005.

Index Terms: 4513 Oceanography: Physical: Decadal ocean variability (1616, 1635, 3305, 4215); 3305 Atmospheric Processes: Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513); 1635 Global Change: Oceans (1616, 3305, 4215, 4513).

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Citation: Levitus, S., J. Antonov, and T. Boyer (2005), Warming of the world ocean, 1955–2003, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L02604, doi:10.1029/2004GL021592.