Tag: ocean

  • What Happens Beneath the Ocean During Storms?

    What Happens Beneath the Ocean During Storms?

    https://youtu.be/hGytLAZ7xtM

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    When a hurricane or coastal storm approaches, most people focus on what is happening above the ocean: wind speed, waves, rainfall and the storm track.

    But some of the most important changes are happening below the ocean surface.

    That was a major topic on this week’s Tidal Flooding Talk. Joe Martucci, Dan Skeldon and Palma Shiles spoke with Julia Engdahl of Rutgers University’s Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, better known as RU COOL. The group studies the ocean using tools including underwater gliders, buoys and high-frequency radar.

    These observations can help scientists understand how the ocean interacts with hurricanes and other coastal storms.

    One important factor is ocean stratification. Ocean water is not always mixed evenly from the surface to the bottom. Different layers can have different temperatures and salt levels.

    That matters because warm ocean water provides energy to tropical storms. A storm can also mix the ocean as strong winds churn the water. If cooler water below the surface mixes upward, it may reduce the amount of warm water available to the storm. But if warm water extends deeper into the ocean, there can be more energy available.

    Engdahl explained that Rutgers researchers study something called potential energy anomaly, or PEA. In simple terms, it measures how much energy would be needed to completely mix the water column. A high value means the ocean is strongly layered, while a low value means the water is already well mixed.

    Getting these measurements is not easy.

    Weather observations are common on land, but there are fewer observations beneath the ocean. Gliders help fill that gap. These unmanned vehicles move through the water using changes in buoyancy instead of a traditional motor. Rutgers can send them across parts of the Mid-Atlantic to measure temperature, salinity and other ocean conditions before and during storm season.

    Better underwater observations could eventually improve hurricane forecasting, especially as scientists build models that connect the atmosphere and ocean together.

    The discussion also turned to coastal flooding communication.

    A forecast of an eight-foot storm surge may be scientifically correct, but that number may not mean much to someone trying to decide whether their home or road will flood. Engdahl suggested showing flood depths in a way people can picture, such as water reaching someone’s knees or chest.

    That is an important lesson for coastal science.

    Better data matters. Better models matter. But the final step is making sure people understand what that information means for the places where they live.

  • A new way to understand how hot or cold the ocean is | TFT 8/11/2026

    A new way to understand how hot or cold the ocean is | TFT 8/11/2026

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tidal-flooding-talk/id1872093061

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3k469Y6TY3FKCs6kliniSg

    IHeartMedia: https://iheart.com/podcast/324707925/

    When most people hear the words “heat wave,” they picture sweltering city streets, triple-digit temperatures and air conditioners running nonstop. But some of the most consequential heat waves are happening out of sight — in the ocean.

    Marine heat waves are periods when ocean temperatures remain unusually warm for an extended stretch, and scientists are increasingly able to measure how much human-caused climate change is influencing those conditions. On a recent episode of Tidal Flooding Talk, Climate Central meteorologist Shel Winkley explained how a warming ocean can ripple far beyond the shoreline, affecting humidity, rainfall, hurricanes and even how well people sleep at night.

    Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index is designed to put numbers on climate change’s influence. For land temperatures, the index runs from negative five to positive five. A reading of four indicates a temperature that would have been rare without climate change, while a five signals conditions that would have been virtually impossible without its influence.

    The ocean version can produce far more dramatic numbers.

    Because ocean temperatures change more slowly than temperatures on land, unusually warm water can carry an especially strong climate signal. Winkley said some sea-surface temperatures can be calculated as 500, 800 or even 1,000 times more likely because of climate change. About 90% of the excess heat associated with human-caused warming is absorbed by the ocean, he said.

    That extra heat does not remain offshore.

    Warmer oceans increase evaporation, pumping more moisture into the atmosphere. That added humidity can help keep nighttime temperatures elevated because humid air cools more slowly than dry air. Winkley said summer nighttime temperatures have been warming nearly twice as fast as daytime temperatures, with warmer oceans helping feed the moisture that pushes inland.

    More atmospheric moisture can also mean heavier rainfall. Warmer ocean water can provide weather systems with a larger supply of moisture, potentially increasing both rainfall totals and rainfall rates.

    Then there are hurricanes.

    Tropical cyclones draw energy from warm water, and Climate Central is using ocean-temperature attribution to estimate how much climate change may boost a storm’s intensity. Even an increase of only a few miles per hour can matter because wind damage rises sharply as wind speeds increase. In some cases, Winkley said, the science can help determine whether climate change helped push a hurricane across a category threshold.

    The takeaway is increasingly difficult to ignore: ocean heat is not simply an issue for swimmers, fisheries or coral reefs.

    What happens in the water can reshape the weather people experience hundreds of miles inland — and the warmer the ocean becomes, the more consequential those connections may become.