News Today Logo

Posted 30 Apr 2024

2 min read

  • Key findings of study: 
    • Climate models predicts accelerated warming of Indian Ocean (IO) at a rate of 1.7°C–3.8°C per century from 2020–2100, compared to 1.2°C per century from 1950–2020.
    • Maximum warming is in the Arabian Sea (northwestern IO).
    • Marine heatwaves are expected to increase from 20 days per year to 220–250 days per year, pushing tropical IO into near-permanent heatwave state.
    • In high emission scenario, study expects minimum average temperature in IO basin to stay above 28°C by 2100, which remained around 26°C-28°C during 1980-2020.
       
  • Impact of warming Indian Ocean: 
    • Thermal expansion due to increased heat content contributing to sea level rise.
    • Marine heatwaves may lead to habitat destruction (coral bleaching, seagrass destruction, loss of kelp forests) and rapid intensification of cyclones. 
    • Increase in frequency of extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events. 
      • IOD is marked by temperature differences in IO. 
      • During Positive IOD, warm waters are pushed to Western IO while during Negative IOD, warm waters are pushed to Eastern IO. 
      • Positive IOD is favourable for rainfall in Indian sub-continent.
    • Others: Increased Ocean acidification and decline in net primary productivity etc. 

 

Way forward for mitigating impacts of warming Indian Ocean

 
  • Reducing global carbon emissions
  • Investing in resilient infrastructure
  • Conserving marine ecosystems through sustainable practices
  • Enhancing forecasting capabilities 
  • Promoting adaptive agriculture for food security 
  • Tags :
  • Indian Ocean
  • warming Indian Ocean
  • sea level rise
Watch News Today
Width resize handle
Height resize handle

Search Notes

Filter Notes

No notes yet

Create your first note to get started.

No notes found

Try adjusting your search criteria.

Subscribe for Premium Features