Dr Roemich – Scripps Institution of Oceanography

04 April 2011 – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

The Greenhouse 2011 Conference has been told that a climate change research program is about to venture deeper into the previously hidden corners of the world’s ocean to confirm rising ocean temperatures.

In his presentation this morning Doctor Dean Roemich of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States says the most excess heat absorbed by earth is stored in the oceans and half of this excess heat warms the Southern Hemisphere.

Dr Roemich says within a decade, scientists will begin receiving a three dimensional view of the ocean from the surface to the seafloor and beneath expanding and retreating sea ice from a new generation of sensor equipped robots.

He says in the past 10 years scientists have constructed a 30 nation comprehensive observing system that has altered what we know of the oceans from the surface layer down to 2000 metres and the major influences they exert on the global climate system.

The visiting US Oceanographer says because 90% of the excess heat being absorbed by our planet is stored in the oceans, with comprehensive measurements of ocean temperature, they are now able to describe the global pattern of climate warming.

He says their findings is that more than a half of this excess heat has gone into warming the Southern Hemisphere oceans between about 30S and 60S.

Dr Roemich jointly leads the robotic research program called Argo with an Oceanographer from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Program’s Wealth from Oceans Flagshi , Dr Susan Wijffels.

Coverage of the GreenHouse2011 conference in Cairns written by Rozalee Nongebatu of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.