A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate
Abstract Marine heatwaves have profoundly impacted marine ecosystems over large areas of the world oceans, calling for improved understanding of their dynamics and predictability. Here, we critically review the recent substantial advances in this active area of research, including the exploration of the three-dimensional structure and evolution of these extremes, their drivers, their connection with other extremes in the ocean and over land, future projections, and assessment of their predictability and current prediction skill. To make progress on predicting and projecting marine heatwaves and their impacts, a more complete mechanistic understanding of these extremes over the full ocean depth and at the relevant spatial and temporal scales is needed, together with models that can realistically capture the leading mechanisms at those scales. Sustained observing systems, as well as measuring platforms that can be rapidly deployed, are essential to achieve comprehensive event characterizations while also chronicling the evolving nature of these extremes and their impacts in our changing climate.
Authors
- Natacha Le Grix (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9938-5841)
- Amandine Schaeffer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8320-4951)
- Chunzai Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7611-0308)
- Mathew Koll Roxy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9311-5162)
- Antonietta Capotondi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3594-5472)
- Robert W. Schlegel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0705-1287)
- Nicole S. Lovenduski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5893-1009)
- Neil J. Holbrook (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3523-6254)
- Dillon J. Amaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6720-3265)
- Alex Sen Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5226-871X)
- Juliet Hermes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7858-514X)
- Kathryn E. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7240-1490)
- Thomas Lukas Frölicher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2348-7854)
- Jessica A. Benthuysen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7615-6587)
- Tongtong Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4949-2208)
- Simona Masina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6273-7065)
- Clara Deser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5517-9103)
- Cristian Martínez-Villalobos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-5553)
- Regina R. Rodrigues (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8010-4018)
Institutions
- NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US)
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (GB)
- University of Bern (CH)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (CH)
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AU)
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IN)
- Australian Research Council (AU)
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Adolfo Ibáñez University (CL)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR)
- Ministry of Earth Sciences (IN)
- Institute of Oceanology (CN)
- South China Sea Institute Of Oceanology (CN)
- CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (IT)
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science (AU)
- NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory (US)
- NSF NCAR Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory (US)
- South African Environmental Observation Network (ZA)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (FR)
- Data Observatory Foundation
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2024-11-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01806-9
- Citations
- 66
- Primary Topic
- Climate variability and models
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 18.65
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- European Commission
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
- Climate Extremes
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Climate Program Office