Study
A recent study led by scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and other international institutions has forecast — based on expected global carbon emission trends — the likely impact on the Indian Ocean.
They report that the Indian Ocean warmed 1.2° C and will likely heat up 1.7° C-3.8° C from 2020 to 2100.
While heatwaves are a lived experience, the study warns of ‘marine heatwaves’, their counterparts in the sea and linked to the rapid formation of cyclones, as likely to increase tenfold from the current average of 20 days per year to 220–250 days per year.
This will push the tropical Indian Ocean into a “near-permanent heatwave state”, accelerate coral bleaching and harm the fisheries sector.
The heating of the ocean would not be merely confined to the surface but actually increase the heat content of the ocean.
When measured from the surface to 2,000 meters below, the thermal capacity of this ocean is now rising at the rate of 4.5 zetta-joules per decade, and is predicted to increase at a rate of 16–22 zetta-joules per decade in the future
Consequences
The consequences of a warming Indian Ocean extend very much into mainland India with the frequency of severe cyclones rising and the monsoon becoming more erratic and uneven with long spells of drought followed by intense rain and concomitant flooding.
These are linked to global warming with anthropogenic sources such as fossil fuel burning playing a significant role in nudging the planet closer to cataclysmic tipping points.
Way forward
Current global commitments to stem greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to make a significant dent in the state of the oceans capacity as unlike on land, the seas respond slower to changes in external inputs.
Therefore, a realistic way out is to fine-tune the understanding of the Indian Ocean’s local impact.
India needs to form a collaborative association with countries bordering the Indian Ocean to invest in data gathering — currently this pales in comparison to what is in the Pacific, for instance — and projections to guide the development and protection of infrastructure and people.
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