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High Temperatures Unleash Marine Heatwave in Mediterranean

People cool off at the Mediterranean Sea on a beach on a hot summer day in Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, Spain, July 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
People cool off at the Mediterranean Sea on a beach on a hot summer day in Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, Spain, July 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
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High Temperatures Unleash Marine Heatwave in Mediterranean

People cool off at the Mediterranean Sea on a beach on a hot summer day in Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, Spain, July 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
People cool off at the Mediterranean Sea on a beach on a hot summer day in Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, Spain, July 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

High temperatures across Europe this month have unleashed a prolonged marine heatwave in the Mediterranean Sea that could ravage ecosystems and kill off several species in the coming weeks, scientists have warned.

The extreme heat in recent weeks has already sparked wildfires and led to thousands of heat-related deaths in Europe, but that warmth hasn't been limited to the land.

The warmer air along with shifting ocean currents and a stable sea surface have warmed coastal Mediterranean waters several degrees Celsius beyond the average temperature of 24°C to 26°C for this time of year.

Waters between Spain's Balearic Islands and the Italian coast were up to 5°C warmer than at the same time last year, Spain's AMET weather agency said Friday – while also warning that temperatures around the Spanish coast would be 3°C to 4°C higher until at least mid-August.

Spain's ports' authority said in a statement the water in Cabo de Gata, in the country's southeastern corner, registered a ten-year temperature record of nearly 28°C on Monday.

Marine heatwaves, which are far less researched than heatwaves on land, are becoming more frequent due to climate change, adding pressure to ecosystems already struggling from over-fishing and plastic pollution.

Ocean scientist Jean-Pierre Gattuso told Reuters that water near the French coastal city of Nice was measured at 29.2°C on June 25 - around 3.5°C higher compared to the same day last year.

"This is an absolute record since at least 1994 and very likely earlier," Reuters quoted him as saying.

"The ocean and sea are kind of a sponge for the heat," Gattuso explained.

Marine heatwaves also struck the Mediterranean in 2015 to 2019, leading to mass die-offs of marine life, according to a study this week from Spain's Institute of Marine Sciences.

This year's heatwave is worse.

"It is longer, and also the magnitude is larger," Gattuso said. The die-offs "will probably come later in August."

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Mount Everest's Highest Camp Littered with Frozen Garbage, Cleanup Likely to Take Years

This image provided by the Peak Promotion shows a member of the Nepal government-funded team using a spade to remove frozen trash en route the Mount Everest, Nepal, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Peak Promotion via AP)
This image provided by the Peak Promotion shows a member of the Nepal government-funded team using a spade to remove frozen trash en route the Mount Everest, Nepal, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Peak Promotion via AP)
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Mount Everest's Highest Camp Littered with Frozen Garbage, Cleanup Likely to Take Years

This image provided by the Peak Promotion shows a member of the Nepal government-funded team using a spade to remove frozen trash en route the Mount Everest, Nepal, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Peak Promotion via AP)
This image provided by the Peak Promotion shows a member of the Nepal government-funded team using a spade to remove frozen trash en route the Mount Everest, Nepal, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Peak Promotion via AP)

The highest camp on the world’s tallest mountain is littered with garbage that is going to take years to clean up, according to a Sherpa who led a team that worked to clear trash and dig up dead bodies frozen for years near Mount Everest’s peak.
The Nepal government-funded team of soldiers and Sherpas removed 11 tons of garbage, four dead bodies and a skeleton from Everest during this year's climbing season.
Ang Babu Sherpa, who led the team of Sherpas, said there could be as much as 40-50 tons of garbage still at South Col, the last camp before climbers make their attempt on the summit.
“The garbage left there was mostly old tents, some food packaging and gas cartridges, oxygen bottles, tent packs, and ropes used for climbing and tying up tents,” he said, adding that the garbage is in layers and frozen at the 8,000-meter altitude where the South Col camp is located.
Since the peak was first conquered in 1953, thousands of climbers have scaled it and many have left behind more than just their footprints, The Associated Press reported.
In recent years, a government requirement that climbers bring back their garbage or lose their deposits, along with increased awareness among climbers about the environment, have significantly reduced the amount of garbage left behind. However, that was not the case in earlier decades.
“Most of the garbage is from older expeditions,” Ang Babu said.
The Sherpas on the team collected garbage and bodies from the higher-attitude areas, while the soldiers worked at lower levels and the base camp area for weeks during the popular spring climbing season, when weather conditions are more favorable.
Ang Babu said the weather was a big challenge for their work in the South Col area, where oxygen levels are about one-third the normal amount, winds can quickly turn to blizzard conditions and temperatures plunge.
“We had to wait for good weather when the sun would melt the ice cover. But waiting a long time in that attitude and conditions is just not possible,” he said. “It's difficult to stay for long with the oxygen level very low.”
Digging out the garbage is also a big task, since it is frozen inside ice and breaking the blocks is not easy.
It took two days to dig out one body near the South Col which was frozen in a standing position deep in the ice, he said. Part way through, the team had to retreat to lower camps because of the deteriorating weather, and then resume after it improved.
Another body was much higher up at 8,400 meters and it took 18 hours to drag it to Camp 2, where a helicopter picked it up.
The bodies were flown to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for identification.
Of the 11 tons of garbage removed, three tons of decomposable items were taken to villages near Everest's base and the remaining eight were carried by porters and yaks and then taken by trucks to Kathmandu. There it was sorted for recycling at a facility operated by Agni Ventures, an agency that manages recyclable waste.
“The oldest waste we received was from 1957, and that was rechargeable batteries for torch lights,” said Sushil Khadga of the agency.
Why do climbers leave garbage behind?
"At that high altitude, life is very difficult and oxygen is very low. So climbers and their helpers are more focused on saving themselves," Khadga said.