Ocean warming caused by greenhouse gases, study finds

Ocean warming is caused by human-made greenhouse gases, says a new US study.

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found that greenhouse gases were responsible for warming oceans, further strengthening the claim that climate change is human-made.

"The bottom line is that this study substantially strengthens the conclusion that most of the observed global ocean warming over the past 50 years is attributable to human activities," said study author and climate scientist Peter Gleckler, according to Live Science.

It is estimated that the oceans account for 90 percent of the heat accumulated on Earth over the past 50 years, the study said.

Read more on GlobalPostClimate change will produce more wildfires in the US

The research used computer models to test a variety of situations that could have caused ocean warming – a phenomenon that has not been contested.

When greenhouse gas emissions were added to the model, the temperature fluctuations began to make sense.

Indeed, the team of researchers from the US, Australia and Japan found that natural fluctuations by themselves do not explain warming in the ocean’s upper layers, said Discovery.

The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Read more on GlobalPostTundra turns to forest faster than expected due to climate change

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.