Between 1985 and 1989, a warming of 0.06 C in sea surface temperatures per decade was observed, while from 2019 to 2023, the increase was by 0.27 C per decade. The study suggests that sea surface temperatures are rising 4.5 times faster since 2019 than they were at the end of the 1980s.

Weather phenomena can cause short-term fluctuations in sea surface temperatures. El Niño, for example, has a temporary warming effect in certain years because it changes the distribution of heat in the tropics. Large volcanic eruptions – such as Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 – release aerosols into the stratosphere, which reflect sunlight and can lead to a temporary cooling of the Earth's surface. However, this effect is short-term and does not significantly interrupt the long-term warming trend.

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