Consequences of Global Warming: Ocean Temperature Higher Than Previously Thought

Alert! A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reveals that the world's oceans are warming up at a rate much higher than expected.

NOAA, in cooperation with the University of St. Thomas and the Chinese Academy of Scientists, revealed that the latest water temperature showed that ocean warming on Earth has increased by 13 percent, which is greater than estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

According to Science Magazine, the data also showed that warming has begun spreading deeper into the ocean since 1990, from 700 meters to a whopping 2,000 meters.

Previously, the warming of the Earth was estimated to account for simply 30 to 40 percent of sea level rise, but now, it's more than 50 percent. This is alarming, according to Tim Boyer of NOAA, as this forces a need for government leaders and experts to make more drastic measures to ensure that ocean warming will not continue.

According to IBTimes, predictions estimate that the world's oceans may be as hot as 39 degrees Farenheit as early as 2100. This is because the Earth's oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the trapped greenhouse gases. Unfortunately, even if greenhouse gas emissions were stopped right now, the oceans will still warm for a lot of years. 

Aside from melting of glaciers and frozen bodies of water, the rise of ocean temperature can affect the intensity of cyclones and storm surges. These natural disasters can potentially destroy coastal infrastructure, which has a detrimental effect not only to marine life but people who depend on them as well.

Global warming also has a severely negative effect on coral reefs, as they are slowly being "bleached" or rendered uninhabitable for marine life.