"The oceanic phenomenon returned this past May, and it can have far-reaching impacts on marine life, leading to harmful algae blooms and massive animal die-offs. Rachel Hosler, a scientist at UC Santa Cruz who studies the California Current ecosystem, explained to SFGATE what scientists call the "blob" is a phenomenon best understood as a series of "distinct" heat waves. It first appeared from 2013 to 2015, followed by a second iteration in 2019, with each defined by its own conditions."
"According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's California Current Marine Heatwave Tracker, also known as the " Blobtracker," the latest Pacific marine heat wave or blob - its official name is NEP25A - first formed in early May. By late July, it had grown to cover almost 8 million kilometers and around 3.1 million square miles. Rachel Hager, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, told SFGATE via email that the anomalous heat wave has grown "approximately the same size as the contiguous U.S.""
A massive northeast Pacific marine heat wave known as the Blob reappeared in early May as event NEP25A and expanded by late July to nearly 8 million kilometers, about 3.1 million square miles. The event ranks among the top three largest northeast Pacific marine heat waves recorded since 1982. Marine heat waves have become common annual occurrences since the first Blob in 2013, with a subsequent iteration in 2019, and each iteration exhibits distinct conditions. Prolonged, much-warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures disrupt the California Current ecosystem and can trigger harmful algal blooms and widespread marine animal die-offs.
Read at SFGATE
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]