In recent decades, the climate change has taken a central role in scientific and public discussions, becoming a topic of growing global concern. Among the most obvious and worrying manifestations of this phenomenon is therising ocean temperaturesa trend that not only persists but seems to accelerate with each passing year.
Ocean warming is not an isolated phenomenon, but is closely linked to human activities that have characterized the post-industrial era. The massive use of fossil fuelslarge-scale deforestation and other industrial practices have contributed to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This greenhouse gas has the peculiar ability to retain heat, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect which in turn causes global warming.
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, it is estimated that about 1% of the carbon dioxide remaining in the atmosphere has caused the average temperature of the Earth’s surface layer to increase by about 0.6 degrees Celsius. However, it is in the vast oceans that the majority of the accumulated heat is deposited: since 1970, in fact, ocean waters have absorbed approximately 90% of the thermal energy captured by carbon dioxide. This process has led to a warming not only of the surface but also of the deeper layers of the ocean.
Warming of the surface layers, in particular, is occurring at an alarming rate, with temperatures increasing by approximately 0.11 degrees Celsius per year. This increase in temperature has direct consequences on the thermal expansion of water, which in turn contributes to sea level rise, another of the devastating effects of climate change.
Despite the clear correlation between human activities and ocean warming, there are divergent opinions among scientists regarding the primary causes of climate change. Some experts, such as Professor Antonino Zichichi, argue that climate variations may be more closely related to natural factors, such as solar activity, rather than to human activities alone. This position is also supported by prominent figures such as Nobel Prize winner Carlo Rubbia, who questions the direct cause-effect link between carbon dioxide emission and climate change.
Despite these differences, it is undeniable that environmental pollution, caused largely by human activities, is a problem that urgently needs solutions. The issue is not only about the protection of marine ecosystems, but also about the protection of human health and the preservation of our planet’s natural resources.
