Why is the North Pacific warming so fast?

Sea lion pups were just some of the affected animals during “the Blob.”. Credit: NOAA

The North Pacific has warmed significantly faster than any other ocean basin on Earth since 2013, enduring two major marine heat waves in five years that had devastating effects on marine mammals, seabirds, as well as fisheries and the communities that rely on them.

Oceanographers are asking "What’s going on in the North Pacific?"

"How long will sea surface temperatures continue to increase at the rate they have?" asked Michael McPhaden, senior scientist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. "And what will the consequences be? Understanding the underlying physical processes better and developing ways to skillfully forecast the future evolution of this trend are really important."