Role of ocean in global warming

Abstract

Based upon the results obtained from coupled ocean-atmosphere models of various complexities, this review explores the role of ocean in global warming. It shows that ocean can play a major role in delaying global warming and shaping its geographical distribution. It is very encouraging that many features of simulated change of the climate system have begun to agree with observation. However, it has been difficult to confirm the apparent agreement because the density and frequency of the observation are insufficient in many oceanic region of the world, in particular, in the Circumpolar Ocean of the Southern Hemisphere. It is therefore essential to intensify our effort to monitor not only at the surface but also in the subsurface layers of oceans. © 2007, Meteorological Society of Japan.