{"id":106554,"date":"2025-03-14T08:07:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T08:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/14\/observer-copernicus-climate-change-service-tracks-record-atmospheric-moisture-and-sea-surface-temperatures-in-2024\/"},"modified":"2025-03-14T08:07:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T08:07:25","slug":"observer-copernicus-climate-change-service-tracks-record-atmospheric-moisture-and-sea-surface-temperatures-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/14\/observer-copernicus-climate-change-service-tracks-record-atmospheric-moisture-and-sea-surface-temperatures-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"OBSERVER: Copernicus Climate Change Service tracks record atmospheric moisture and sea surface temperatures in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

OBSERVER: Copernicus Climate Change Service tracks record atmospheric moisture and sea surface temperatures in 2024
\nevan<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fri, 14\/03\/2025 – 09:07
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2024, the planet experienced extremes which were unprecedented in the instrumental record, highlighting the ongoing impact of human-induced climate change. In addition to record global temperatures which made 2024 the first year with an average temperature clearly exceeding the threshold of 1.5\u00b0C above the pre-industrial level set in the Paris Agreement, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed in its\u00a0<\/strong>Global Climate Highlights 2024<\/strong><\/em><\/a>,<\/strong><\/em> published on 10 January, that Earth\u2019s atmosphere and oceans reached new milestones. The report, based on C3S climate monitoring capabilities and expertise, found that\u00a0atmospheric water vapour surged to unprecedented levels, while sea surface temperatures (SSTs) reached new heights, outpacing the extremes of previous El\u00a0Ni\u00f1o years. The Global Climate Highlights set the stage for C3S\u2019s upcoming <\/strong>European State of the Climate Report 2024<\/strong><\/em>, a flagship joint publication with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) due in early April. This comprehensive analysis will focus on Europe\u2019s, \u00a0climate conditions in 2024, providing in-depth descriptions of climate events while updating the long-term global context with key climate indicators. \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h5>\n

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Water vapour: the invisible amplifier of global warming<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

In 2024 the atmosphere held more moisture than previously recorded by a large margin. Total column water vapour\u2014the total amount of moisture in a vertical column of air extending from the surface of the Earth to the top of the atmosphere\u2014reached 4.9% above the 1991\u20132020 average, far surpassing previous highs in 2016 (3.4%) and 2023 (3.3%).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Water vapour is Earth\u2019s most abundant greenhouse gas, responsible for about half of the planet\u2019s natural greenhouse effect. Unlike other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO\u2082) and methane (CH4), the concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere is not directly influenced by human activities. However, water vapour concentration rises as the atmosphere warms: for every 1\u00b0C increase in atmospheric temperature, air can hold 7% more moisture. This creates a vicious cycle\u2014warmer air absorbs more vapour, which traps more heat, further accelerating warming.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\"A
Annual anomalies in the average amount of total column water vapour over the 60\u00b0S\u201360\u00b0N domain relative to the average for the 1992\u20132020 reference period. The anomalies are expressed as a percentage of the 1992\u20132020 average. Data: ERA5. Credit: C3S\/ECMWF.<\/em>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u201cWater vapour is both a consequence and a driver of climate change,\u201d explains C3S Director Carlo Buontempo. \u201cIn 2024, we saw this feedback loop in \u2018overdrive\u2019. Higher sea surface temperatures intensified evaporation, whilst warmer atmosphere allowed more water to be held there as vapour, adding \u2018fuel\u2019 to several extreme weather events.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The consequences are potentially disastrous. Increased atmospheric moisture can intensify storms and increase the intensity of the most extreme rainfall. The atmosphere knows no borders, so the potential effects are global.<\/p>\n

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Rising sea surface temperatures<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

If 2023 was a wake-up call, 2024 sounded a louder alarm. The annual average SST for extra-polar oceans (60\u00b0S\u201360\u00b0N) hit 20.87\u00b0C; 0.51\u00b0C above the 1991\u20132020 baseline, breaking 2023\u2019s record (20.80\u00b0C). For 15 consecutive months, from April 2023 to June 2024, SSTs set new monthly highs for the time of year. Even after El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s influence waned, oceans remained anomalously warm, with July\u2013December 2024 ranking as the second-hottest period on record.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\"Graph
Comparison between the monthly sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies for the extra-polar ocean (60\u00b0S\u201360\u00b0N; vertical axis) and the monthly SST anomalies for the Ni\u00f1o 3.4 region (5\u00b0N\u20135\u00b0S, 170\u00b0\u2013120\u00b0W; horizontal axis). Anomalies are relative to the average for the 1991\u20132020 reference period for the corresponding month. Data: ERA5. Credit: C3S\/ECMWF.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The Atlantic Ocean, and in particular the tropical areas, the Indian Ocean, and large parts of the Western Pacific bore the brunt, with SSTs reaching unprecedented levels. The global SST anomaly in December 2024 amounted to 0.61\u00b0C above the 20-year average and 2\u00b0C for the El Ni\u00f1o 3.4 region, which spans the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, even though 2024 ended in\u00a0El Ni\u00f1o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral conditions,\u00a0meaning there was no dominant El Ni\u00f1o or La Ni\u00f1a influence.<\/p>\n

The impacts of higher SSTs are multifaceted. Prolonged spikes in sea surface temperatures are devastating coral reefs and disrupting fisheries, for example. In the Caribbean,\u00a0coral bleaching<\/a> has reached catastrophic levels, while in the Indian Ocean, warmer waters are\u00a0displacing fish populations<\/a>, threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about El Ni\u00f1o,\u201d stresses Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). \u201cThe oceans are absorbing around 90% of Earth\u2019s excess heat. What we\u2019re seeing is a relentless accumulation of energy, fundamentally altering marine ecosystems and weather patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The water vapour\u2013SST connection: A troubling symbiosis\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Coinciding with the elevated moisture levels recorded last year, 2024 saw a large number of extreme rainfall events, leading to flooding in regions from South Asia to Western Europe. Europe was impacted throughout 2024 by a range of heavy precipitation events, including named storms, such as Storm Boris in September, which brought record-breaking rainfall and severe flooding to central and eastern regions. In northwestern Europe, 12 storms were named by the\u00a0UK Met Office, Ireland\u2019s Met \u00c9ireann and Netherlands\u2019 KNMI<\/a>-storm-naming group during the 2023-2024 storm season\u2014the highest number in a season since the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands introduced their storm-naming system in 2015.<\/p>\n

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\n\"Two
(Left) Anomalies and extremes in sea surface temperature for 2024. Colour categories refer to the percentiles of the temperature distributions for the 1991\u20132020 reference period. The extreme (\u2018coolest\u2018 and \u2018warmest\u2018) categories are based on rankings for the period 1979\u20132024. Values are calculated only for the ice-free oceans. (Right) Anomalies and extremes in the amount of total column water vapour for 2024. Colour categories refer to the percentiles of the water vapour distribution for the 1991\u20132020 reference period. The extreme (\u2018lowest\u2019 and \u2018highest\u2019) categories are based on rankings for 1992\u20132024. Credit: C3S\/ECMWF, ERA5 data.<\/em>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Some\u00a0sources suggest<\/a> that the\u00a0intensity of storms will likely increase as hurricanes and typhoons draw energy from warmer waters and vapour-rich air, multiplying their destructive potential.\u00a0Hurricane Helene<\/a>, which struck the Gulf of Mexico in September 2024, intensified from Category 2 to Category 5 in under 24 hours\u2014a phenomenon potentially linked to higher-than-normal sea surface temperatures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The bigger picture: Greenhouse gases and global temperatures\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Water vapour was not the only greenhouse gas to see an increase in 2024. Preliminary analysis of satellite data, averaged over the entire atmospheric column, shows that carbon dioxide and methane concentrations continued their upward trajectory, reaching record levels.\u00a0These rising greenhouse gas levels underscore the urgent need to curb emissions and accelerate climate action to mitigate the impacts of global warming.<\/p>\n\n

\n\"A
Monthly global mean atmospheric CO2\u202fcolumn-averaged concentration from satellites for 2003\u20132024 and the 12-month average. Data source: C3S\/Obs4MIPs (v4.6) consolidated (2003\u20132023) and CAMS preliminary near real-time data (2024) GOSAT-2 records. Spatial range: 60\u00b0S-60\u00b0N over land. Credit: C3S\/CAMS\/ECMWF\/University of Bremen\/SRON.<\/em>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The rate of increase of carbon dioxide was higher than that observed in recent years. As a result of this relentless growth, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were higher in 2024 than at any time in at least\u00a02,000,000<\/a>\u00a0years, while methane levels were higher than at any time in at least\u00a0800,000<\/a>\u00a0years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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A planet at a crossroads\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

For the first time, C3S synchronised its annual Global Climate Highlights release with other leading agencies, including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA<\/a>), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA<\/a>), and the\u00a0UK Met Office<\/a>. This collaboration marks a watershed moment in climate communication, ensuring policymakers receive a consistent, evidence-based narrative. While datasets and methodologies may differ between different institutions the consensus is clear:\u00a02024 was unequivocally Earth\u2019s hottest year, as confirmed by all five global temperature datasets. \u201cWhen every major dataset, every agency, and every scientist is saying the same thing, it\u2019s time to listen,\u201d Burgess said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

April\u2019s European State of the Climate Report (ESOTC) 2024 will focus on key variables in Europe, providing regional analyses of 2024\u2019s extremes including flooding, heatwaves and drought. This year\u2019s report will also provide deeper insights into rising temperatures, glacier loss, the warming of European seas and oceans, sunshine duration, renewable energy and much more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The C3S Global Climate Highlights 2024 paint a picture of a planet pushed to its limits. As multiple climate variables grow to unprecedented levels, the message is clear: incremental action is insufficient. With the ESOTC report on the horizon, the data-driven case for rapid emissions cuts has never been stronger. \u201cWe\u2019re writing the playbook for future generations,\u201d Buontempo concludes. \u201cWhat\u2019s at stake isn\u2019t just a climate statistic\u2014it\u2019s the liveability of our planet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Fri, 14\/03\/2025 – 12:00 <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OBSERVER: Copernicus Climate Change Service tracks record atmospheric moisture and sea surface temperatures in 2024 evan Fri, 14\/03\/2025 – 09:07 In 2024, the planet experienced extremes which were unprecedented in the instrumental record, highlighting the ongoing impact of human-induced climate change. In addition to record global temperatures which made 2024 the first year with an…
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