Earth's Energy Imbalance Has Doubled - Here's Why That Matters
Earth Energy Imbalance and Global Climate Indicators
Earth's Energy Imbalance Has Doubled - Here's Why That Matters
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 11, 2026
Earth's energy imbalance has doubled in recent decades, meaning the planet is now trapping far more heat than it releases back to space, with most of that excess energy going into the oceans.
Major Climate Report Shows Earth Is Getting Hotter Faster
Article link | University of Leeds | University of Leeds | June 11, 2026
A major climate-indicator update reports rapid heat accumulation, rising human-caused warming, and accelerating sea-level rise linked to Earth's growing energy imbalance.
Record Heat Pushes Human-Driven Warming to 1.39C
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 11, 2026
Researchers report that human-caused warming has reached about 1.39C, with Earth's energy imbalance now at record levels.
How a Record-High Energy Imbalance Is Driving Global Warming
Article link | Piers Forster et al. | Carbon Brief | June 10, 2026
Scientists explain how the growing gap between incoming and outgoing energy is pushing global temperatures upward faster than in previous decades.
Global Warming Hit 1.37C in 2025, with Earth Accumulating Heat Faster
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 10, 2026
The article reports that human-induced warming reached 1.37C in 2025 and that Earth's heat accumulation is accelerating.
Why Is Earth's Energy Imbalance Growing?
Article link | Max Planck Institute for Meteorology | MPI-M | June 2, 2026
Researchers review why satellite measurements show increasing heat accumulation in the climate system.
Indicators of Global Climate Change 2025
Article link | Piers M. Forster et al. | Earth System Science Data | June 11, 2026
The annual climate-indicator assessment reports that Earth's energy imbalance has more than doubled in recent decades and is contributing to exceptionally warm conditions.
State of the Global Climate 2025
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | March 23, 2026
The State of the Global Climate report adds Earth's energy imbalance as a key climate indicator and documents record ocean heat, sea-level rise, and extreme-weather impacts.
Earth Being Pushed Beyond Its Limits as Energy Imbalance Reaches Record High
Article link | Jonathan Watts | The Guardian | March 23, 2026
The article reports on the WMO climate assessment showing record heat buildup and worsening risks from oceans absorbing most of the trapped energy.
Planet Trapped Record Heat in 2025
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | March 23, 2026
The article reports on a WMO assessment finding record planetary heat buildup and major climate impacts in 2025.
What Are Zettajoules - And What Do They Tell Us About Earth's Energy Imbalance?
Article link | The Guardian | The Guardian | March 24, 2026
This explainer uses zettajoules to show the enormous scale of excess heat accumulating in Earth's climate system.
Ten New Insights in Climate Science
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | February 19, 2026
A climate-science synthesis highlights the sharp rise in Earth's energy imbalance as a warning sign that warming may be accelerating.
Earth's Energy Imbalance More Than Doubled in Recent Decades
Article link | Thorsten Mauritsen et al. | AGU Advances | May 10, 2025
Researchers find that Earth's energy imbalance has risen much faster than expected and reached levels above many climate-model estimates.
Earth's Energy Imbalance Is Much More Extreme Than Climate Models Show
Article link | Live Science | Live Science | 2025
The article explains why satellite observations show a larger energy imbalance than many climate models reproduce, with clouds and aerosols among the key uncertainties.
Observed Trend in Earth Energy Imbalance May Provide a Fingerprint of Climate Change
Article link | Gunnar Myhre et al. | Science | 2025
The study examines how trends in Earth's energy imbalance can help identify the combined influence of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and climate feedbacks.
New Study Shows Earth Energy Imbalance
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | April 19, 2023
The WMO summarizes research showing continued growth in Earth's energy imbalance and explaining where the trapped heat is stored.
Earth's Energy Budget Is Not in Balance. Should We Be Worried?
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | May 31, 2023
This explainer describes Earth's energy budget, why it is out of balance, and how the ocean records the buildup of excess heat.
Joint NASA-NOAA Study Finds Earth's Energy Imbalance Has Doubled
Article link | NASA | NASA | June 15, 2021
NASA and NOAA researchers report that Earth's energy imbalance approximately doubled from 2005 to 2019.
Earth's Energy Imbalance and Implications
Article link | James Hansen et al. | arXiv | May 5, 2011
This influential paper explains how ocean heat uptake confirms that Earth is absorbing more energy than it emits to space.
Ocean Heat, Sea Temperatures, and Marine Impacts
Ocean Surface Temperatures Hit a Record High for June
Article link | The Guardian | The Guardian | July 1, 2026
Record June ocean surface temperatures highlight how excess heat stored in the ocean is reshaping global climate risks.
Record Sea Temperatures in June Push World into Uncharted Waters
Article link | Financial Times | Financial Times | July 1, 2026
The article reports record global sea temperatures and explains why warm oceans can intensify storms, heatwaves, and climate instability.
The Ocean Has Shielded Us from the Worst of Climate Change
Article link | The Guardian | The Guardian | June 17, 2026
This commentary explains how oceans absorb most excess heat while ocean warming worsens marine heatwaves, sea-level rise, and extreme weather.
Ocean Heat Content Climate Indicator
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | April 29, 2026
Copernicus shows that global ocean heat content reached its highest level in the record in 2025, confirming continued storage of excess planetary heat.
AMOC: Is Global Warming Tipping Key Atlantic Ocean Currents Toward Collapse?
Article link | Carbon Brief | Carbon Brief | April 23, 2026
Carbon Brief explains how ocean warming and heat transport affect the Atlantic circulation system and climate risks.
WMO: Likelihood Increases of El Nino
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | April 24, 2026
WMO reports that El Nino is expected to develop from mid-2026, which could add short-term warmth on top of long-term energy imbalance.
Surging Tropical Pacific Ocean Surface Temperatures and Early European Heatwave in May
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | June 2026
Copernicus reports unusually warm tropical Pacific sea-surface temperatures and early European heat, highlighting climate-system heat buildup.
Consolidating Global Estimates of Ocean Heat Content
Article link | A. Minière et al. | Earth System Science Data Discussions | 2026
Researchers compare global ocean heat-content estimates, a crucial measurement because the ocean stores most of Earth's excess heat.
Ocean Heat Content Sets Another Record in 2025
Article link | Yuying Pan et al. | Advances in Atmospheric Sciences | January 2026
Researchers report that global upper-ocean heat content reached another record in 2025, reflecting continued heat accumulation from greenhouse gases.
The Oceans Were Hotter Than Ever in 2025
Article link | Time | Time | January 2026
Time reports on record ocean heat in 2025 and explains how warm oceans intensify storms, sea-level rise, and coral bleaching.
Oceans Kept Warming Through 2025 and the Signals Are Getting Harder to Ignore
Article link | Times of India | Times of India | January 2026
The article reports on continued ocean heat accumulation in 2025 and the growing evidence of climate-system stress.
Profound Impacts: Record Ocean Heat Is Intensifying Climate Disasters
Article link | The Guardian | The Guardian | January 9, 2026
Scientists warn that record ocean heat is worsening climate disasters by increasing storm energy, rainfall extremes, marine heatwaves, and sea-level rise.
Ocean Heat Content Hit a New Record in 2025
Article link | ClimaTwin | ClimaTwin | January 14, 2026
This explainer summarizes the 2025 ocean heat record and discusses what it means for climate risk.
Oceans Break Heat Records in 2025, Fueling Extreme Weather
Article link | Climate Adaptation Platform | Climate Adaptation Platform | January 27, 2026
The article explains how record ocean heat can fuel stronger storms, heavier rainfall, and marine heatwave impacts.
State of the Climate: 2025 in Top-Three Hottest Years as Ocean Heat Surges
Article link | Zeke Hausfather | Carbon Brief | January 14, 2026
Carbon Brief reviews 2025 climate data, including record ocean heat content and continued global temperature extremes.
WMO Confirms 2025 Was One of Warmest Years on Record
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | January 14, 2026
The WMO confirms that 2025 ranked among the hottest years recorded and reports another major increase in ocean heat content.
European State of the Climate 2025
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | April 2026
The European climate report documents record heat, marine heatwaves, and warming seas, all connected to the broader buildup of excess energy.
Ocean Warming and Marine Heatwaves in Europe
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | April 2026
Copernicus reports widespread marine heatwaves in 2025, showing how stored ocean heat affects regional climate extremes.
Climate Change: Ocean Heat Content
Article link | Rebecca Lindsey | NOAA Climate.gov | Updated 2024
NOAA explains why ocean heat content is one of the clearest indicators of Earth's energy imbalance and long-term warming.
New Record Ocean Temperatures and Related Climate Indicators in 2023
Article link | Lijing Cheng et al. | Advances in Atmospheric Sciences / NOAA Repository | 2024
The study documents record ocean temperatures and explains how ocean warming reflects Earth's positive energy imbalance.
State of the Climate: 2023 Smashes Records for Surface Temperature and Ocean Heat
Article link | Zeke Hausfather | Carbon Brief | January 12, 2024
Carbon Brief reports record global surface temperature and record ocean heat content in 2023.
Trends and Variability in Earth's Energy Imbalance and Ocean Heat Uptake
Article link | Maria Z. Hakuba et al. | Surveys in Geophysics / NOAA Repository | 2024
This review compares multiple ocean heat-content records and satellite observations to better constrain Earth's energy imbalance.
Global Climate Indicators: Ocean Heat Content, Acidification, Deoxygenation and Blue Carbon
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | March 22, 2021
The WMO reviews ocean heat content as a major global climate indicator and connects warming oceans to broader marine changes.
In Hot Water: Ocean Heat and Our Warming World
Article link | NOAA | NOAA | September 21, 2021
NOAA explains how ocean heat content tracks the accumulation of excess energy in the climate system.
Reporting on the State of the Climate in 2019
Article link | NOAA Climate.gov | NOAA | August 12, 2020
NOAA's State of the Climate materials document global climate indicators, including ocean heat storage and related warming trends.
Research Cruises Reveal Global Warming Reaching the Deep Southern Ocean
Article link | NOAA Climate.gov | NOAA | October 30, 2018
NOAA explains how research cruises show excess heat from global warming reaching deep layers of the Southern Ocean.
Oceans Are Warming Rapidly, Study Says
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 30, 2017
The article reports that ocean heat content is increasing rapidly because the ocean stores most of Earth's energy imbalance.
Rate of Ocean Warming Quadrupled Since Late Twentieth Century
Article link | Roz Pidcock | Carbon Brief | March 10, 2017
Carbon Brief reports that the upper ocean has warmed much faster in recent decades as greenhouse gases trap more heat.
The Role of the Ocean in Tempering Global Warming
Article link | NOAA Climate.gov | NOAA | October 23, 2014
NOAA explains how the ocean absorbs and redistributes excess heat, temporarily moderating surface warming while storing long-term climate energy.
Clouds, Aerosols, Reflectivity, and Forcing
How Declining Cloudiness Is Accelerating Global Warming
Article link | Carbon Brief Guest Post | Carbon Brief | March 26, 2026
Researchers explain how declining cloud cover can reduce Earth's reflectivity and increase the planetary energy imbalance.
The NOAA Annual Greenhouse Gas Index
Article link | NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory | NOAA | Updated 2025
NOAA tracks the warming influence of long-lived greenhouse gases, the main driver of the planet's positive energy imbalance.
Earth's Growing Heat Imbalance Driven More by Clouds Than Air Pollution Changes
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | December 23, 2025
A study suggests recent changes in clouds may be a major driver of the increase in Earth's energy imbalance.
Top-of-Atmosphere Radiation Fields over the Last Millennium Reconstructed from Proxies
Article link | Dominik Stiller and Gregory J. Hakim | arXiv | October 10, 2025
Researchers reconstruct radiation-budget patterns over the last millennium to place modern energy imbalance in a longer historical context.
Boreal Afforestation's Underestimated Cloud Influence on Earth's Energy Imbalance
Article link | Enoch Ofosu et al. | arXiv | August 12, 2025
The paper examines how boreal afforestation could influence Earth's energy imbalance through albedo and cloud-aerosol feedbacks.
Earth's Clouds on the Move
Article link | NASA Earth Observatory | NASA | June 17, 2025
NASA explains how changing cloud patterns affect Earth's reflectivity and contribute to the planet's changing energy budget.
Aerosol Effective Radiative Forcing Accelerates Earth's Energy Imbalance in Recent Decades
Article link | ResearchGate | ResearchGate | 2025
This research summary discusses how changing aerosol forcing may contribute to the recent acceleration of Earth's energy imbalance.
Climate Change: Annual Greenhouse Gas Index
Article link | NOAA Climate.gov | NOAA | Updated 2025
NOAA explains how greenhouse gases increase the atmosphere's heating power and drive Earth's energy imbalance.
Evidence, Uncertainty and Questions Around Record Warm Years 2023-2024
Article link | 10 New Insights in Climate Science | 10 New Insights | 2025
The article reviews evidence that recent record warmth is linked to greenhouse gases, cloud changes, aerosols, and Earth's energy imbalance.
Recent Advances in Observation and Modeling of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions
Article link | Tatsuya Michibata | Current Climate Change Reports | 2025
This review discusses aerosol-cloud interactions, a key uncertainty in understanding Earth's reflectivity and energy imbalance.
Abrupt Reduction in Shipping Emissions as an Inadvertent Geoengineering Termination Shock
Article link | Tianle Yuan et al. | Communications Earth & Environment | 2024
The study examines how cleaner shipping fuels reduced reflective aerosol pollution, potentially allowing more solar energy to warm the planet.
Factcheck: Why the Recent Acceleration in Global Warming Is What Scientists Expect
Article link | Carbon Brief | Carbon Brief | April 4, 2024
Carbon Brief explains why recent warming acceleration is consistent with ocean heat content and satellite energy-imbalance observations.
Recent Reductions in Aerosol Emissions Have Increased Earth's Energy Imbalance
Article link | Øivind Hodnebrog et al. | Communications Earth & Environment | 2024
Researchers find that reductions in aerosol pollution have likely increased the amount of energy retained by Earth.
Robust Evidence for Reversal of the Trend in Aerosol Effective Climate Forcing
Article link | Johannes Quaas et al. | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics / NOAA Repository | 2022
Researchers examine how aerosol forcing trends have changed, with implications for how much sunlight Earth reflects.
Anthropogenic Forcing and Response Yield Observed Positive Trend in Earth's Energy Imbalance
Article link | Shiv Priyam Raghuraman, David Paynter and V. Ramaswamy | Nature Communications / NOAA Repository | 2021
The study finds that human forcing and climate response help explain the observed positive trend in Earth's energy imbalance.
Satellite Monitoring, Data, and Measurement
Modeling and Control for Distributed Measurements of Earth's Energy Imbalance
Article link | Rayan Mazouz et al. | arXiv | April 22, 2026
The paper proposes a spacecraft-based approach for improving direct measurements of Earth's energy imbalance from orbit.
ORAS5 Global Ocean Reanalysis Monthly Time-Series Data
Article link | Copernicus Climate Data Store | Copernicus / ECMWF | April 27, 2026
This dataset supports long-term monitoring of ocean heat content, one of the main ways scientists track Earth's energy imbalance.
European State of the Climate 2025: About the Data
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | 2026
Copernicus describes the data sources and methods used to assess European climate indicators, including temperature and ocean conditions.
Dr. Norman Loeb and CERES Energy Budget Research
Article link | NASA CERES | NASA | Accessed 2026
NASA profiles research using CERES observations to study Earth's radiation budget, clouds, and energy imbalance.
CERES on Terra: Energy Budget and Clouds
Article link | NASA Terra | NASA | Accessed 2026
NASA Terra provides background on CERES observations of reflected sunlight, outgoing heat, and cloud effects on Earth's energy budget.
The State of CERES: Updates and Highlights
Article link | NASA | NASA Science | December 29, 2025
NASA highlights updates from CERES, the satellite program that tracks Earth's radiation budget and helps monitor energy imbalance.
NOAA-20 CERES Instrument Now Primary Source for Observing Heat Budget
Article link | NASA Earthdata | NASA | September 21, 2022
NASA explains how CERES instruments measure Earth's radiation budget and support long-term monitoring of planetary heat imbalance.
Earth's Energy Imbalance from the Ocean Perspective
Article link | Maria Hakuba | NASA CERES Science Team Meeting | October 13, 2021
This NASA presentation explains how ocean heat uptake helps estimate Earth's energy imbalance.
Science: CERES and Earth's Radiation Budget
Article link | NASA CERES Team | NASA | 2021
NASA's CERES science page explains how absorbed sunlight, reflected sunlight, outgoing heat, clouds, and aerosols shape Earth's energy budget.
Terra Mission Coverage of CERES Energy Imbalance Findings
Article link | NASA Terra | NASA | 2021
NASA Terra summarizes the finding that Earth's energy imbalance doubled and explains the satellite observations behind it.
The Challenge of Measuring Earth's Energy Imbalance
Article link | Stephen Schwartz | NASA CERES Science Team Meeting | February 20, 2010
The presentation explains why extremely precise radiation measurements are needed to determine Earth's energy imbalance and climate sensitivity.
Climate Risks, Sea Level, and Extreme Weather
Solar Geoengineering Could Shield up to 75 Percent of Oceans
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 12, 2026
The article reports on solar geoengineering research related to reducing incoming solar energy and limiting ocean warming.
Human-Caused Climate Change Set to Reach 1.5C Around 2030
Article link | Le Monde | Le Monde | June 11, 2026
The article reports that human-caused warming is approaching 1.5C, with rapid heat accumulation and a shrinking carbon budget.
Earth's Climate Continues to Warm as Heat Accumulation Reaches Record Levels
Article link | Imperial College London | Imperial College London | June 11, 2026
Imperial reports on climate indicators showing record heat accumulation, rising sea levels, and increasing marine heatwave exposure.
Indicators of Global Climate Change
Article link | Indicators of Global Climate Change Team | Copernicus | June 11, 2026
The climate-indicator dashboard tracks human-caused warming, greenhouse gas forcing, carbon budgets, and Earth's energy imbalance.
European State of Climate 2025: Record Heatwaves from Mediterranean to Arctic
Article link | WMO and Copernicus | WMO | April 29, 2026
WMO and Copernicus report that Europe's seas reached record warmth in 2025 as the global ocean continued absorbing excess heat.
Earth's Energy Imbalance and Declining Reflectivity
Article link | Spark Climate Solutions | Spark Climate | June 11, 2026
This explainer connects the doubling of Earth's energy imbalance to declining planetary reflectivity and climate feedbacks.
Earth's Climate Swings Increasingly Out of Balance
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | March 23, 2026
The WMO reports that Earth's energy imbalance reached its highest level in a 65-year record, with the ocean absorbing most of the excess heat.
Pace of Global Warming Has Nearly Doubled Since 2015, Study Says
Article link | Carbon Brief | Carbon Brief | March 6, 2026
The article discusses evidence that warming has accelerated in recent years, including ocean heat content and satellite energy-imbalance measurements.
State of the Climate: 2024 Sets a New Record as First Year Above 1.5C
Article link | Zeke Hausfather | Carbon Brief | January 10, 2025
Carbon Brief reviews the record warmth of 2024, including exceptional ocean heat and the role of human-driven climate forcing.
Earth's Energy Imbalance and Energy Flows through the Climate System
Article link | American Meteorological Society | AMS | Accessed 2026
This special collection gathers studies on Earth's energy imbalance, ocean heat uptake, radiation flows, clouds, aerosols, and regional energy budgets.
Global Temperature Report for 2025
Article link | Berkeley Earth | Berkeley Earth | January 14, 2026
Berkeley Earth reports that 2025 remained among the hottest years ever measured and discusses factors such as low cloud cover and aerosol changes.
Indicators of Global Climate Change 2025
Article link | Piers M. Forster et al. | Earth System Science Data | June 11, 2026
The annual climate-indicator assessment reports that Earth's energy imbalance has more than doubled in recent decades and is contributing to exceptionally warm conditions.
European State of the Climate 2025
Article link | Copernicus Climate Change Service | Copernicus / ECMWF | April 2026
The European climate report documents record heat, marine heatwaves, and warming seas, all connected to the broader buildup of excess energy.
Human-Caused Climate Change Set to Reach 1.5C Around 2030
Article link | Le Monde | Le Monde | June 11, 2026
The article reports that human-caused warming is approaching 1.5C, with rapid heat accumulation and a shrinking carbon budget.
Climate Research, Models, and Long-Term Trends
Earth Is Trapping Much More Heat Than Climate Models Predicted
Article link | Phys.org | Phys.org | June 29, 2025
Researchers report that Earth's energy imbalance has more than doubled over about two decades and may be outpacing model expectations.
Heat Stored in the Earth System 1960-2020: Where Does the Energy Go?
Article link | Karina von Schuckmann et al. | Earth System Science Data / NOAA Repository | 2023
Scientists quantify how excess heat is stored across the ocean, land, atmosphere, and cryosphere, showing that the ocean takes up the largest share.
Where Does the Heat Go?
Article link | World Meteorological Organization | WMO | September 7, 2020
This WMO explainer shows how excess heat is distributed among the ocean, land, atmosphere, and ice.
