Is Climate Change Just a Lot of Hot Air?

Henry Reich, MinuteEarth

This short video illustrates how warming ocean temperature is a major factor in climate change, particularly the increase in severity of extreme weather (notably storms and drought).

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Notes from our reviewers

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Stop the video at the 1:40 mark to avoid the ads at the end. Video's narration moves very quickly through concepts such heat capacity of the ocean, capacity of the atmosphere to absorb water vapor as temperature increases, and NASA visualizations of changes in ocean surface temperatures over time. Educator may want to show video several times and/or pause frequently to clarify and/or check for understanding. Consider using this resource after some instruction in heat capacity vs temperature and the role large bodies of water have on weather systems and climate.
Video gives a very clear and concise explanation of how just a few degrees rise in ocean temperature can lead to increased moisture in the atmosphere and heightened severity of extreme weather events. Comments from expert scientist: Scientific strengths: Fantastic resource! Had to watch twice to fully grasp all the points but it's so quick and fun to watch that I didn't even mind it. - 1% extra energy absorbed from global temperature increase is in the atmosphere, the rest is in the ocean - Describes how heat storage in the ocean impacts the weather (a point often missed when describing climate change) - Explains that warmer water evaporates more and produces more water vapor (GHG) - High sea surface temperatures drive storms and floods (more heat --> more energy for storms)