Ocean heatwaves are hiding months of extra warming
Researchers at William & Mary have proposed a new framework for measuring marine heatwaves that accounts for cumulative heat exposure before and after the peak event. The study suggests that traditional methods underestimate the total thermal stress experienced by marine ecosystems.
Why it matters
More accurate measurement of heat exposure is essential for understanding the long-term impacts of climate change on coastal and oceanic environments.
Anyone who has ever heated a pot of water knows that temperature depends on more than how hot something gets. Time matters too. Yet marine heatwaves (MHWs) have traditionally been studied as distinct events with clearly defined beginnings and endings.
New research led by William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School suggests that approach may overlook a major part of the heat marine ecosystems actually experience. The researchers developed a framework for measuring cumulative exposure not only during MHWs, but also during the extended periods of unusually warm water that can occur before and after them.
Marine heatwaves are part of longer warming periods
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