Increase in ocean heat is adding fuel to hurricanes like Ida

The world's oceans are warming at a steady clip as the increase in man-made greenhouse gas emissions continues to rapidly warm our planet.

More than 90 percent of the warming on Earth between 1971-2010 occurred in the ocean and eventually much of that heat will have to be released into the atmosphere.

The warming of the oceans is contributing to sea level rise (thermal expansion), ocean heat waves, coral bleaching and the melting of ice sheets and coastal glaciers.

Ocean warming is also making tropical cyclones stronger and leading to more extreme storms, which are producing stronger winds and heavier rainfall.

Hurricane Ida rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane as it moved over the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Change in the Gulf of Mexico sea-surface temperature anomalies since the early 20th century during the annual hurricane season (June-November). Image courtesy ClimateMatters and NOAA.

As you can see with the above graph, the warming trend is clear in the Gulf of Mexico, especially since the 1990s.

When we look at the entire world going back to the start of the 20th century, most of the Earth's oceans are warming. The one area that sticks out is south of Greenland, which may be more indicative of colder meltwater from this giant glacier.

Measuring changes in ocean heat content (OHC) is a tool in measuring how much the world is warming. OHC is a term for the energy absorbed by the ocean.

Hurricane Ida went directly over an area of high heat content in the Gulf of Mexico, where warm water extended farther down below the surface compared to other areas in the Gulf. This larger layer of warm water provided a vast amount of energy to Ida and helped contribute to its rapid intensification Saturday night into Sunday.

To no surprise, global OHC has been steadily climbing over the past 50 years.

As the OHC continues to climb, climate scientists expect to see a continued upward trend in major tropical cyclones and extreme precipitation events.

Below is the latest global sea-surface temperature anomaly chart as of late August 2021. You can clearly see the developing la Nina (below-normal SST's along the equatorial Pacific) and the cooler blob still south of Greenland. However, the warm anomalies clearly dominate with several large areas of much above normal sea-surface water temperatures.