Oceans Shatter Heat Records: Unveiling the Threat of a Warming World

In 2025, Earth's oceans recorded unprecedented heat storage, inciting concerns about rising sea levels and intensified weather patterns. The upper layers saw a 23 zettajoule increase, as a study revealed. Achieving net-zero emissions is crucial to halt this trend, researchers urge.

The heat stored in Earth's oceans reached unprecedented levels in 2025, according to a recent study that reported a striking increase of 23 zettajoules of energy in the upper two kilometers of ocean water. This figure is roughly 200 times the global electrical energy consumption of 2023.

An international team of researchers, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted that 33% of the ocean's expanse hit the top three warmest levels since record-keeping began. Researchers emphasized that rising ocean temperatures contribute to higher sea levels and intensify extreme weather conditions by increasing atmospheric heat and moisture.

Experts predict that oceans will continue to break heat records until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net-zero. Kevin Trenberth, co-author of the study and honorary academic at New Zealand's University of Auckland, notes, "The ocean is the hottest on record. We're looking at creating a very different planet — do we really want to do that?"

(With inputs from agencies.)