Marine heatwaves becoming more intense, more frequent

When thick, the surface layer of the ocean acts as a buffer to extreme marine heating—but a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder shows this "mixed layer" is becoming shallower each year. The thinner it becomes, the easier it is to warm. The new work could explain recent extreme marine heatwaves, and point at a future of more frequent and destructive ocean warming events as global temperatures continue to climb.