A new scientific study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change suggests that the world unknowingly passed the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming benchmark back in 2020. This revelation means that the pace of warming is a full two decades ahead of projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It also indicates that the world is likely to cross the 2-degree threshold in the next few years.
The study’s findings are based on the analysis of sclerosponges, a primitive orange sponge species found in cave roofs deep in the ocean. These sea sponges grow extremely slowly and can live for hundreds of years, making them valuable sources of climate data. By analyzing the strontium to calcium ratios in these sponges, researchers were able to calculate water temperatures dating back to the 1700s. This data revealed that the average ocean temperature was lower than previously estimated by the IPCC.
The study’s use of sclerosponges for temperature analysis is significant because it eliminates the challenges associated with existing ocean temperature records. The findings from these sponges, sampled in the Caribbean, offer more reliable data on ocean temperature, particularly from the ocean mixed layer, where water temperatures are less influenced by natural variability.
Overall, the study’s revelations based on sclerosponges indicate that current consensus estimates of global warming may need revision. While the new findings may not immediately alter the consensus, ongoing research in this area provides hope for more accurate temperature reconstructions in the future.
