The equatorial Pacific is a key oceanographic region in the Earth’s climate system. According to a new study led by Rutgers University, warming of the upper ocean layers and stronger winds have been linked to increased rainfall in eastern China
Ocean heat content is a term that represents the amount of energy absorbed by seawater. Recent increases in ocean heat content have been implicated in the intensification of tropical storms – which draw their energy from the surface of the ocean.
The link between ocean heating and rainfall on land is unclear. The Rutgers study, which is published in the journal Nature, provides new insight into this link.
“Our study suggests variations in ocean thermal structure affect the delivery of moisture, latent heat, and what happens when they arrive on land,” said Yair Rosenthal, professor at the Rutgers’ School of Art and Sciences and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Full article at Earth.com