News Release

Ocean warming and continental temperature and humidity

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Land and Ocean in Australia

image: Land and ocean in Australia. view more 

Credit: PNAS

Researchers report an association between ocean warming and trends in continental humidity and temperature. Climate change is expected to produce changes in temperature and humidity over oceans and land. Current climate models predict larger future increases in surface temperature and declines in relative humidity over land, compared with oceans. Michael Byrne and Paul O'Gorman report a direct link between ocean warming and trends in continental humidity and temperature. The authors used continental and oceanic surface-air temperature and humidity data from 1979 to 2016 to examine trends in oceanic and continental climates. Analysis of the data indicated that land temperatures increased faster than ocean temperatures, but that specific humidity increased faster over oceans than over land. Moreover, the authors observed a strong decrease in relative humidity over land, consistent with climate projections. Based on a quantitative model incorporating atmospheric dynamics and moisture transport, the authors propose a link between ocean warming and land temperature and humidity changes. The model indicated that the amplified land temperature increases were likely due to the increased dryness of continental air relative to ocean air, in turn resulting in a decline in relative humidity over land. The findings might help interpret past and future climate change, according to the authors.

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Article #17-22312: "Trends in continental temperature and humidity directly linked to ocean warming," by Michael P. Byrne and Paul A. O'Gorman.

MEDIA CONTACT: Michael P. Byrne, Imperial College London, UNITED KINGDOM; tel: +447472179331; e-mail: <michael.byrne@imperial.ac.uk>


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