NOAA: 2012: Waters Off Northeast US Coast Were Warmest In 150 Years

NOAA: Waters Off Northeast US Coast Were Warmest In 150 Years

The advisory reports on conditions in the second half of 2012.

"Sea surface temperature for the Northeast Shelf Ecosystem reached a record high of 14 degrees Celsius (57.2°F) in 2012, exceeding the previous record high in 1951. Average SST has typically been lower than 12.4 C (54.3 F) over the past three decades.

… The temperature increase in 2012 was the highest jump in temperature seen in the time series and one of only five times temperature has changed by more than 1 C (1.8 F).'

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But of course it was purely coincidental that six months ago the Northeast was hit by the “largest hurricane in Atlantic history measured by diameter of gale force winds (1,040mi).”



Climate scientists have long predicted that about 90% of total human-made global warming would go into heating the oceans and that’s exactly what’s been happening and this effects not only the oceans but the species within them.

Distinctive Climate Signals In Reanalysis Of Global Ocean Heat Content

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When this blog was begun my emphasis was on reporting to you chiefly about water scarcity and the mechanisms in place by corporations and governments to control this resource. I have never been more concerned about this as I am now and reading about what is taking shape due to the effects of global warming should bring this concern home to all of us. We are now seeing the beginnings of what scientists have long predicted: warming oceans effecting the global hydrologic cycle which effects the ferocity of storms as well as sea level rise, salt water intrusion and more frequent and prolonged drought.

Yesterday was the milestone of six months since Superstorm Sandy. I experienced Sandy up close and personal and I can tell you from that experience that we must never allow it to leave our consciousness. Sandy will not be the only visitor to our shores and the next one may be much worse. Atmospheric CO2 as registered at Mauna Loa April 29, 2013, shows us at 399.50 PPM. The alarm is ringing but people sit as if it is silent!

There is no doubt we may reach 400PMM this month and for me I thought it would take longer. I am not going to mince words any longer: This planet is in a state of bio distress that needs us to act now. If you look at the events as they have unfolded over the past several years and the trends over the last decade or more it is undeniable. CO2/greenhouse gas pollution is amplifying natural processes and have now taken us to a new plateau. We must reduce carbon emissions much more radically in sync with the same radical increase in renewable energy use besides a major reforestation effort to assure the survival of the species of this planet.

The Arctic continues its death spiral, storms continue to get more intense and droughts more severe and prolonged as the effects of these events are now critically effecting agriculture, water, social systems, ecosystems and the very biodiversity of this planet. How much clearer does the warning have to be?

I know for many this is the unthinkable. This is what many don't want to think or focus on because to them it signifies an ending and a recognition of moral responsibility. Please, you must think about it and you must speak out and act. Can you imagine another storm the ferocity of Sandy or even worse hitting this shore again this year? How much more can Haiti and the Caribbean take? The reality is the probability of that happening is increasing and it is already devastating poorer areas of the world.

What headlines will our grandchildren be reading?

Also See:

Historic Snowfall Potential For Omaha To Minneapolis