Black Sea Water Temperatures May Buck Global Trend

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Average surface temperatures of the Black Sea may not have risen, according to the surprising results of a new study from the JRC.

Average surface temperatures of the Black Sea may not have risen, according to the surprising results of a new study from the JRC.

The study used a model to simulate possible temperature changes and predict long term trends in the Black Sea’s hydrodynamics.

While the surface showed no long term warming trend, the same simulations also indicated that average temperatures at 50 metres below the surface may be rising.

The Black Sea has unique natural conditions like a positive net freshwater balance and very specific local currents. Observational data on temperature change is varied and scarce. As such it is not clear what the impacts of climate change have been on Black Sea water temperatures.

Read more at European Commission Joint Research Centre

Image: These are climatological model surface circulations in February: (a) for 1990-1995 and (b) for 1995-2000. The colour bar represents the surface current speed, while arrows show both speed and direction. (Credit: European Union, 2017)