Climate Change Trends in The Eastern Mediterranean Hotspot

The sea surface temperature increase due to global warming is causing rapid iceberg melting and increased condensation of clouds, each project to a global consequence in the form of sea surface temperature drop during storms, marine heatwaves, sea level rise, and increase in intensification and rate of recurrence of storm weather events.

Here we present the analysis of 30-year-long measurements of sea surface temperature and instantaneous water surface elevation, measured by two buoys moored in separate locations in the climate hotspot area in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea at the depth of 24 meters, two kilometers off the Israeli coastline. Additional long-term measurements of sea level rise from several stations along the Israeli coastline are also integrated into the analysis. The increase in storm weather events was examined in terms of storms’ significant wave height statistics, using peak-over-threshold analysis over the historic data. 

The results showed occurrences of sea surface temperature drop events following storms and of marine heatwaves, positive trends were observed in sea level and in sea surface temperature rise. The last two decades are shown to be characterized by storm intensification. The sea surface rise was correlated against the measured sea surface temperature trends as obtained by the buoys and compared to Copernicus satellite data with remarkable conclusions.