Ocean Heat Content is a fundamental indicator of energy trapped by Green house gases Heat trapped by Greenhouse Gases goes into three reservoirs: Oceans (91%), Sea Ice & Glaciers (6%), Atmosphere (3%). The atmospheric part has driven the warming global temperatures from weather sta<ons since 1880. The public is aware of the warming atmosphere, they are aware of receding glaciers and reduced sea-­‐ice extent, but most are unaware of the huge Ocean reservoir. The atmospheric warming paused for the last 10-­‐15 and climate models did not predict this. But the other two reservoirs, Sea Ice & Glaciers and the Global average Atmosphere Surface Ocean have con<nued to absorb heat energy. Before Temperatures from weather sta<ons 1980 late summer<me Arc<c sea ice extent was 8 million km2 . In 2012 Arc<c sea ice hit a record low of 4 million km2. The plot below shows the change in Ocean Heat Content since 1957 when oceanographers made the first measurements. During the recent global warming pause, the Ocean conBnued to absorb heat from green house gases!! Heat Content Ocean 5 year averages Ocean 3 month averages Ocean ~90% Atmosphere ~3% 2013 So two out of three reservoirs are currently responding to the heat energy trapped by Greenhouse Gases. The pause in Atmospheric temperatures is because the Oceans and Glaciers are absorbing a bit more of the heat energy. You can barely see the increasing Heat content of the atmosphere since 1957 because it’s dwarfed by the ocean. Climate models were unable to predict the pause in warming, so we have no way to forecast when atmospheric warming will resume. The con<nued rise in Ocean Heat content is of great concern to scien<sts because its a fundamental indicator of the heat energy trapped by the CO2 we are emiVng to the atmosphere. Clark Weaver (more at temperaturetrends.org) A Joule is a measure of Energy. A WaZ is equal to 1 Joule per second. So a 100 WaZ bulb is producing 100 Joules of energy each second.