Heat Content

Maps of change in heat content in the oceans from 1993 through 2003, and 2003 through 2005. Josh Willis and his colleagues concluded that the world’s oceans gained heat in the decade from 1993 to 2003 (top). However, a follow-up study for the years 2003 to 2005 showed a surprisingly large decrease in heat content—about 5 times as large as the previous decade’s warming (bottom). Areas that warmed are red, while areas that cooled are blue. Note that the scale of each map is different: the 1993–2003 map ranges from -12 to +12 watts per square meter, while the 2003–2005 map ranges from -60 to 60. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OceanCooling/page1.php