LIVE AT 2:30 MT 2-hour wildfire evacuation notice issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
For the sixth straight year, the world's oceans were warmer in 2021 than at any time before, according to a new study.
Researchers found that in 2021 the upper 2,000 metres of the oceans absorbed 14 more zettajoules than in 2020. For context, the annual global energy consumption by humans is estimated to be half a zettajoule. A zettajoule is equal to one joule, a unit of energy, plus 21 zeros.
"The ocean heat content is relentlessly increasing globally, and this is a primary indicator of human-induced climate change," Kevin Trenberth, distinguished scholar at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research and co-author of the study, said in a news release. "In this most recent report, we updated observations of the ocean through 2021, while also revisiting and reprocessing earlier data."
The study, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, summarizes data from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Centers for Environmental Information of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The research looked into the role of natural weather variations, such as the warming and cooling phases El Nino and La Nina, which greatly affect regional temperature changes. In spite of these phenomena, analyses indicated significant ocean warming across the globe since the 1950s.
"With model experiments, our study shows that the pattern of ocean warming is a result of human-related changes in atmospheric composition," said Lijing Cheng, associate professor with the International Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences and lead author of the study. "As oceans warm, the water expands and sea level rises. Warmer oceans also supercharge weather systems, creating more powerful storms and hurricanes, as well as increasing precipitation and flood risk."
Ocean heat content is one of the best indicators of climate change, the researchers say.
"The oceans are absorbing most of the heating from human carbon emissions," said Michael Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric science at The Pennsylvania State University and co-author of the study. "Until we reach net zero emissions, that heating will continue, and we'll continue to break ocean heat content records, as we did this year. Better awareness and understanding of the oceans are a basis for the actions to combat climate change."
The researchers also say rising ocean temperatures can affect the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
"As well as absorbing heat, currently, the ocean absorbs 20 to 30 per cent of human carbon dioxide emissions, leading to ocean acidification," Cheng said. "However, ocean warming reduces the efficiency of oceanic carbon uptake and leaves more carbon dioxide in the air."
A wildfire evacuation alert for some Fort McMurray residents has been updated to a two-hour evacuation notice.
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.