Ocean Temperature and Heat Transport

Oceans and Climate

In this course, Dr Katy Sheen (University of Exeter) explores the relationship between the oceans and the global climate system, and how this is being altered by climate change. In the first module, we think about the role of the oceans in transferring heat around the Earth and influencing weather patterns, and the impacts of warming on ocean processes. In the second, we consider interactions between the oceans and polar ice, their importance in the global climate system, and how they are being affected by climate change. The third module looks at the role of the oceans as a vital carbon store, and the fourth outlines some of the key ways humans are impacting the oceans beyond climate change. We conclude with a fifth module on the development of marine science and how the oceans are measured and monitored today.

Ocean Temperature and Heat Transport

In this module, we think about the role of the oceans in regulating global temperature and the impacts of climate change on ocean processes. We focus on: (i) the transport of heat by the oceans from the equator to polar regions; (ii) the oceans’ greater thermal inertia than the atmosphere (they change temperature more slowly) and the importance of this for weather patterns; (iii) the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its role in global temperature and weather systems; (iv) the increase in overall ocean temperature caused by climate change, and the impacts of this on, for example, sea levels.