| Global warming fingerprint | |
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Ocean Warming, sea-level rise and coastal flooding |
New Zealand
The oceans around New Zealand have been warming over the past decade at a rate not seen since the 1930s. Over the last century the average ocean temperatures around New Zealand increased by about 1.8°F (1°C), slightly more than the global average. Despite 20 years of cooling from the 1970s through the early 1990s – due to longer and stronger El Niño events affecting the regional ocean temperatures – New Zealand’s ocean temperature increase over the 20th century is consistent with the global average upward trend. Sea level along the country’s shoreline has been rising accordingly by an average of 0.04-0.08 inches (1-2 mm) per year.
Reference: NIWA, 2002. New Zealand’s oceans are hotting up. Media Release, 18 April, 2002. National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research. Auckland, New Zealand.
