Written by nationally recognized and award-winning environmental activist Dr. Rob Moir
None of us are strangers to reports that the Gulf of Maine is heating 97% faster than the world’s oceans. But the real reasons for this may be lost in the endless headlines about global warming and rising greenhouse gases. To explain this amazing phenomenon, let’s take a closer look at four factors – sea surface temperature, heat intensity, air temperature, and precipitation – by month over five years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) produces monthly charts of sea surface temperatures. Below is the latest chart for June 2024.
The dark blue water was 32 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Light blue was 54 degrees Fahrenheit. The green water in Massachusetts Bay was about 65 degrees and the yellow water south of Cape Cod was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no temperature at all in the Gulf of Maine. Ocean surface water temperatures range from a cool 65 degrees on the coast to 54 degrees in the Atlantic Ocean.
Monthly changes, long-term impact
This temperature varies from month to month of the year. In the following image from NOAA, the top row shows sea surface temperatures for April going back in time from 2024 to 2020. Map of the Northeast shows precipitation changes in the Gulf of Maine basin. The largest river is the St. Johns, which flows from the northern tip of Maine. April 2024 was the driest month, and April 2020 was the wettest. Weekly monthly average temperature is displayed. The bottom chart shows the 30-year average of April right whale density. In spring, sea surface temperature changes slightly, precipitation changes significantly, and air temperature changes little. Right whale populations are increasing, especially in Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Shoals.
May is when surface temperatures begin to warm.
The light blue color shown below indicates warmer surface water (54 degrees F). 2024 will see the warmest seas and the most precipitation. Some people may think that rising temperatures are warming the oceans. However, I would like to draw your attention to the inland heat severity map for the past five years below. This image shows a combination of air and land heat averages. When the average annual temperature is above normal or approaching dangerous levels, the fever is displayed in bright red.
The severity of heat has increased dramatically since 2019, and especially from 2022 to 2023. The heat reaches its peak in summer. As temperatures rise inland, the Gulf of Maine absorbs more heat.
By June each year, surface temperatures along the Gulf of Maine coast were warmer, reaching 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is consistent with the heat severity map. It’s no surprise that there’s a lot of heat around Boston. Increased precipitation has caused surface water temperatures to rise.
2020 was the driest month and had the lowest surface water temperatures.
In July, warm surface waters spread further across the Gulf of Maine. Black blobs indicate insufficient data due to fog and low cloud cover. 2023 was a year of record rainfall, with the most rainfall since 1955. It is also the first year that orange (81 degrees Fahrenheit) has appeared.
Temperatures warm in July, but surface water temperatures do not. The July 2019 temperature was 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which was cooler than the 2023 temperature of 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is later in the year that evidence of summer warming shows long-term effects on the Gulf of Maine. October 2021 saw heavy precipitation and warm sea surface temperatures, while 2019 saw heavy precipitation but no significant rise in sea surface temperatures. The heat wave map shows that despite the heavy rain in 2019, the heat wave was significantly lower in 2019 and did not affect water temperatures. The temperature of the land around the Gulf was a factor in determining surface water temperature.
The warm waters of the Gulf Stream have been mapped in the lower right corner in some years, but not in other years. The Gulf Stream meanders to dissipate energy as it flows north. How close you are to the Gulf of Maine varies from month to month.
Surface waters warmed in July due to a noticeable increase in precipitation compared to other months. Temperature increases with temperature. As precipitation increases, more water flows off the land. Heated ground surface is a factor in summer season. In October 2019, there was heavy precipitation and little change in surface water temperature. This was due to the low surface temperature.
One surprising fix
Seasons in New England vary greatly in the amount of rainfall and heat. As temperatures rise, land temperatures also rise. In particular, more rainfall flows onto hot impervious surfaces, spreading more freshwater over the saltier ocean surface, warming 97% faster than the world’s oceans.
To cool down the main bay we All you need to do is reduce the amount of water flowing out of the ground.. Slowing the flow retains more water to infiltrate the ground. Moist soil allows plants to grow and absorb more carbon. Reduce the burden of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by increasing the amount of green plants and restoring healthy soil. The Gulf of Maine will no longer heat faster than 97% of the world’s oceans.
About the author
Dr. Rob Moir is President and Executive Director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a nonprofit organization that provides expertise, services, resources and information not available at the local level to support the efforts of environmental organizations. Please visit us www.oceanriver.org For more information
