Global warming

Geology

Climate change

Sea surface temperature

Subtropics

Thermohaline circulation

Biology

Atmospheric sciences

Oceanography

Climate model

Ocean current

Ocean heat content

Climatology

Fishery

Effects of global warming on oceans

Ocean gyre

Environmental science

Boundary current

Geophysical Research Letters

Recent evidence shows that wind‐driven ocean currents, like the western boundary currents, are strongly affected by global warming. However, due to insufficient observations both on temporal and spatial scales, the impact of climate change on large‐scale ocean gyres is still not clear. Here, based on satellite observations of sea surface height and sea surface temperature, we find a consistent poleward shift of the major ocean gyres. Due to strong natural variability, most of the observed ocean gyre shifts are not statistically significant, implying that natural variations may contribute to the observed trends. However, climate model simulations forced with increasing greenhouse gases suggest that the observed shift is most likely to be a response of global warming. The displacement of ocean gyres, which is coupled with the poleward shift of extratropical atmospheric circulation, has broad impacts on ocean heat transport, regional sea level rise, and coastal ocean circulation.

Poleward Shift of the Major Ocean Gyres Detected in a Warming Climate