Climate Number: 10 X 10²² joules
There is more energy in the Earth’s climate today than there was in 1950. This increase in energy exists in warmer air temperatures, less ice, more extreme rainfall events, warmer land surfaces and warmer rivers and lakes. The vast majority of the cumulative energy gain, however, is in the oceans. The upper 2300 feet of ocean waters have gained 10 x 10²² joules worth of heat energy over the past 60 years. Water expands as it gets warmer and this increase in heat content accounts for about 60 percent of the four inches of sea level rise experienced over the same period; melting glaciers account for the other 40 percent.
For Comparison: The amount of heat absorbed by the oceans is about 10 times the amount of heat absorbed by the atmosphere; 10 x 10²² joules worth of energy is about 60 years worth of electrical energy for America.
Below: A few estimates of ocean heat content increases. Image Courtesy of United States: Environmental Protection Agency. “Climate Change Indicators in the United States.” 2010.
Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Sources: United States: Environmental Protection Agency. “Climate Change Indicators in the United States.” 2010. Accessed Online
