Three decades of high-resolution coastal sea surface temperatures reveal more than warming

Fernando P. Lima, David S. Wethey
2012 Nature Communications  
understanding and forecasting current and future consequences of coastal warming require a fine-scale assessment of the near-shore temperature changes. Here we show that despite the fact that 71% of the world's coastlines are significantly warming, rates of change have been highly heterogeneous both spatially and seasonally. We demonstrate that 46% of the coastlines have experienced a significant decrease in the frequency of extremely cold events, while extremely hot days are becoming more
more » ... n in 38% of the area. Also, we show that the onset of the warm season is significantly advancing earlier in the year in 36% of the temperate coastal regions. more importantly, it is now possible to analyse local patterns within the global context, which is useful for a broad array of scientific fields, policy makers and general public.
doi:10.1038/ncomms1713 pmid:22426225 fatcat:pghd2mdclza6fij4fqk5wn3kru