{"id":417976,"date":"2025-12-20T16:32:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T15:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417976"},"modified":"2025-12-20T16:32:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T15:32:28","slug":"climate-study-storms-reduce-the-summer-ocean-heat-gain-by-limiting-solar-radiation-reaching-the-surface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417976","title":{"rendered":"Climate Study: \u201cStorms reduce the summer ocean heat gain by limiting solar radiation reaching the surface\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essay by<\/strong> Eric Worrall<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a recent study, climate models overestimate Southern Ocean surface heating, because they underestimate the impact of storms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEWS RELEASE 16-DEC-2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storms in the Southern Ocean mitigates global warming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peer-Reviewed Publication<\/a>
UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intense storms that sweep over the Southern Ocean enable the ocean to absorb more heat from the atmosphere. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that today\u2019s climate models underestimate how storms mix the ocean and thereby give less reliable future projections of our climate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Southern Ocean is a vast expanse of ocean encircling the Antarctic continent, regulating Earth\u2019s climate by moving heat, carbon, and nutrients out in the world\u2019s oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It provides a critical climate service by absorbing over 75 per cent of the excess heat generated by humans globally. The Southern Ocean\u2019s capacity to reduce climate warming depends on how efficiently it can absorb heat from our atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur research shows that summers with stronger storm activity generate lower surface temperatures across the Southern Ocean. Hence, a stormy ocean can absorb more heat from the atmosphere, then in calm weather,\u201d says Marcel du Plessis, Researcher in oceanography at the University of Gothenburg and main author of the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much heat the ocean absorbs from the atmosphere influences everything from how high temperatures will be on land, to the extent of sea ice and the severity of marine heatwaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current climate models, which underpin the climate projections used to guide policy, tend to underestimate the strength of Southern Ocean storms and thereby simulate an overly warm ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is why our findings are important, because a better representation of storm processes is essential for more accurate future climate projections,\u201d says Marcel du Plessis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s in the Antarctic summer that storms have their strongest impact on ocean heat uptake. In winter, completely different processes take place. This will be the next challenge for researchers to observe and understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olof L\u00f6nnehed
University of Gothenburg
olof.lonnehed@science.gu.se<\/a>
Office: +46 766-186970<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expert Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marcel du Plessis
University of Gothenburg
marcel.du.plessis@gu.se<\/a>
Cell: +46 72 900 8118Read more: https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/news-releases\/1109536<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The abstract of the study;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Published: 03 December 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Southern Ocean summer warming is regulated by storm-driven mixing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n