A "hot water faucet" has broken in the world's oceans, heating up four times faster than before (photo).

In the late 1980s, ocean temperatures were rising at a rate of about 0.06°C per decade. Now, scientists claim that the rate of ocean warming has surged to an astonishing 0.27°C per decade. In simpler terms, over the past 40 years, the rate of ocean warming has increased more than fourfold, according to Daily Mail.

A new study conducted by a team from the University of Reading has revealed that the temperature of the World Ocean is rising at incredible rates. According to the lead author of the study, Professor Chris Merchant, if the oceans were likened to a bathtub filled with water, in the 1980s, the hot tap would have been running very slowly, warming the water by a fraction of a degree every decade. However, now the hot tap is running significantly faster — the warming is accelerating.

Professor Merchant believes that the future of the World Ocean is significantly more concerning: if humanity does nothing in the future, the temperature increase of the ocean observed over the past 40 years is likely to be surpassed within the next two decades.

Fortunately for all of us, there is only one sure way to slow down the warming of the Earth's oceans. Professor Merchant asserts that we have only one chance to slow this process: by reducing global carbon emissions and moving towards a net-zero target.

The team notes that the acceleration of ocean warming is being held back by the growing energy imbalance of the Earth. This means that more energy from the sun is being absorbed by our oceans than is radiated back into space. Data indicates that since 2010, this imbalance has roughly doubled.

Such figures are partly linked to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases and the fact that the Earth is now reflecting less sunlight back into space than before. The researchers also found that in 2023 and early 2024, "unprecedented" ocean temperatures were recorded, with data suggesting that this record lasted for 450 consecutive days.

The researchers believe that part of this warming is due to El Niño — a natural phenomenon of warming in the Pacific Ocean. However, when the team compared it to the similar El Niño of 2015–2016, they discovered that the remaining portion of the record heat could be explained by the faster warming of the sea surface over the past 10 years compared to previous decades. In simple terms, 44% of the record heat was actually linked to the oceans absorbing heat at an accelerated rate.

The danger lies in the fact that ocean warming can be truly destructive to the Earth's climate systems. Previous studies have already shown that warming ocean waters contribute to rising sea levels, as water expands when heated.

Additionally, the warming of ocean waters is linked to the thinning of shelf glaciers and sea ice, which has further implications for the Earth's climate system. Finally, the warming ocean waters pose a threat to marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of people.