Scientists fear planetary shift as record ocean heat enters second year

At this time last year, scientists watched in disbelief as the world’s oceans surged to record levels of warmth and wondered what could have triggered it. The jump in sea surface temperatures was more dramatic than anything seen before.

The scientists explored a link to El Niño, the climate pattern known for warming up the Pacific Ocean, and potential warming influences from diminished shipping liner pollution and a major volcanic eruption. But nothing explained the influx of warmth as it held up for months on end and spread heat waves across nearly all of the oceans’ surfaces.