Syllabus GS 3: Environment
Context: –
The Mediterranean Sea is experiencing most extreme marine heatwave ever recorded for the time of year. Scientists say it could be once in a blue moon event.
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- This means some areas of the sea is 8°C (+14F) warmer than normal time of the year. Such high temperatures would not happen without global warming.
- During this heat wave the temperature of the surface and sub-surface of the sea are much higher than normal for extended period of time.
- The worst-affected parts of the western Mediterranean Sea are central region, Balearic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
What is Marine Heat wave
- Marine heat wave (MHW) refers to an event where ocean temperature in a particular region remains abnormally high for an extended period of time.
- They can occur any ocean or sea lasting days to months and cover hundreds to thousands kilometres.
- The overall deviation of sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean is six standard deviations from the normal for this time of the year.
- The major cause is global warming and heat dome– when area of high pressure traps hot air over a region warm air is pushed upwards by high pressure which keep heat from escaping.
Impact of Marine Heat waves
- Rising temperature affects marine biodiversity.
- Mass bleaching of coral reefs.
- Death of sea grass meadows and kelp forest.
- Negative impact on fisheries and food security.
How Heat waves Affect Weather Patterns
- Warmer sea increases atmospheric moisture so the dew point increase and it act as a fuel for cyclones.
- It can divert jet streams and it leads to prolong dry or extreme rainfall events.
- Because of heavy rainfall, situations like floods and landslides arise.
- In urban areas, heat waves intensify the heat island effect.
- In 2024 flash floods & landslides occurred in central Bosnia. These deadly disasters unfold triggered by Warming of seas.
About Mediterranean Sea
- Almost entirely enclosed by Southern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.
- It connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar, Black Sea via the Bosporus Strait and to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.
- Semi-enclosed sea with high salinity due to evaporation exceeding precipitation and river inflow. Divided into Western and Eastern Mediterranean basins.
