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A deadly marine heatwave is taking up almost the entirety of the North Pacific [1]
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Date: 2022-08-13
This anomalously warm pool of water in the North Pacific dubbed "The Blob" has made several appearances over the last decade, leading to documented changes in climate and marine ecosystems, including mass die-off of fish and birds.
Though Twitter has been abuzz with data showing that the deadly marine heatwave known as The Blob is returning, there has been little to no reporting on it so far. I am sure that will change once the N Pacific heat wave intensifies.
But, News of the North Bay does an excellent job writing on the phenomena:
Of great interest currently is a rapid heat up of sea surface temperatures off the California coast, and across almost the entire North Pacific. The re-emergence of a warm water “blob” is not only unusual during our current La Nina conditions, but has rapidly reached levels rarely seen. Already the heat up has brought tropical fish species like the Mahi Mahi to the Southern California offshore waters, and other subtropical species to the Northern California coast. A close up look at the current sea surface temperature anomoly shows unusually warm water from just north of Hawaii, extending to the California coast. Further north, SST’s are off the charts. The ocean temperature signals are a topic of much debate in scientific circles. While the cool water near the equator is typical of a moderate La Nina, the hot water further north is not. One theory being circulated is controversial, and it holds that persistent high pressure forming over the warm sea surface of the North Pacific will force the storm track south, gracing Callifornia with substantial rain. This would be similar to the winter of 2016-2017. Other theories are more ominous, with the return of a North Pacific blocking high pressure system that keeps storms from reaching California. Importantly, this extremely warm sea surface water has showed up only recently, and may not be around through the fall and winter. It is simply too early to tell. For now our relatively high humidities (for Northern California) in recent weeks are almost certainly due in part to the water temperatures. And, it is becoming increasingly acknowledged that climate change is altering past climate patterns to a significant degree. We will continue to follow the situation and keep you up to date.
NOAA has a great analogy on how climate change makes waters hotter.
A good analogy is steroids and home runs. One of these events is like a batter getting ahold of a pitch and hitting a long fly ball. If that batter’s on steroids, like our climate system, the ball is liable to go that much farther and go over the fence and become a heat wave.
x Marine heatwaves are dominating much of Earth's oceans.
The North Pacific has experienced a severe marine heatwave this July, which will have disastrous impacts on marine ecosystems.
Water temperatures have been as high as 13.6°C (24.5°F) above normal. pic.twitter.com/yz2pNi8VUv — Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 26, 2022
The National Audobon Society writes that heatwaves rapidly displace marine animals capable of fleeing the extraordinary temperatures. They have been found to shift 460 miles in an attempt to stay cool. Those that can’t escape, such as shellfish and corals, will die.
Up until now, most research on marine heatwaves has focused on stationary organisms like coral reefs that have no choice but to endure the heat—and often perish. But a new study conducted by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration examines how mobile species like fish respond to these climatic events. Published today in Nature, the study found that marine heatwaves can raise the temperature of hundreds or thousands of miles of cold-water habitat, forcing wildlife to quickly move to cooler areas to survive. “In past marine heatwave events along the West Coast, there have been over 1,000 kilometers [620 miles] of displacement,” says Michael Jacox, lead author of the study. “The temperatures you would normally see in southern California might actually be found off of northern California or even Oregon.” These dramatic, temporary shifts affect not only aquatic animals, but also the seabirds that feed on them.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/13/2116424/-A-deadly-marine-heatwave-is-taking-up-almost-the-entirety-of-the-North-Pacific
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