Sea level, temperature and heat content
Ocean
The ocean absorbs more than 90% of the climate system’s excess heat. This panel shows three consequences: the steady rise in mean sea level since 1993, monthly sea-surface temperature with its seasonal cycle, and the annual growth of upper-layer heat content.
+3.4 mm/yr
13.4 cm
Sea level
+0.15 / 10y
18.6 °C
SST
27
Heat content
90%
Heat in ocean
Cumulative sea-level change.
Monthly series with the seasonal cycle.
Annual values, illustrative units.
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