The interseasonal variations in marine heatwaves remain unclear

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated challenges and stated research gap and future-work section of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1983 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 98 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 6 representative gaps

• A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate (2024) · Communications Earth & Environment · cited 72× · doi

  The need for sustained observing systems to monitor marine heatwaves and their impacts. The challenge of predicting and projecting marine heatwaves, particularly in a changing climate. The importance of addressing the research gap in understanding marine heatwaves, including their three-dimensional structure and evolution.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: need sustained observing systems monitor marine heatwaves impacts
• Periodic extreme rainfall in a warmer climate due to stronger convectively coupled waves (2026) · Science Advances · doi

  Prior studies focused on small-domain simulations and did not consider the interaction between convection and atmospheric wave dynamics. The critical sea surface temperature for the transition to periodic precipitation was found to be higher than expected. There is a need to investigate the mechanisms of tropical extreme precipitation in a warmer climate using global-scale simulations.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: prior studies focused small-domain simulations did consider interaction
• How Does Asymmetric Heating near the Upstream Peninsula Modulate Extreme Rainfall on the South China Coast? (2026) · Advances in Atmospheric Sciences · doi

  The complexity of multiscale mechanisms involved in extreme rainfall events. The challenge of simulating the effects of upstream heating on coastal rainfall using numerical experiments. The need to accurately represent the thermodynamic forcing in the marine atmospheric boundary layer, which is closely related to the production of coastal extreme rainfall.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: complexity multiscale mechanisms involved extreme rainfall events challenge
• Marine heatwaves and their impact on rainfall over the East China Sea: simulations with a convection-permitting air–sea coupled model (2026) · Climate Dynamics · doi

  The study identifies challenges related to simulating marine heatwaves and their effects on rainfall, particularly in terms of capturing the complexity of the air-sea interaction. The challenges include the need to accurately represent the vertical mixing in the mixed layer, and the importance of considering the impact of marine heatwaves on atmospheric instability and moisture availability.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study identifies challenges related simulating marine heatwaves effects
• A review of climate models and their simulation of CO2‐induced warming (1983) · International Journal of Environmental Studies · cited 18× · doi

  The paper recommends numerical simulations with coupled atmospheric and oceanic general circulation models to reduce the uncertainties in the simulations. The paper suggests that further research is needed to improve the understanding of the rate at which heat is exchanged between the oceanic mixed layer and deeper ocean.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: paper recommends numerical simulations coupled atmospheric oceanic general
• Seasonal dynamics of global marine heatwaves over the last four decades (2024) · Frontiers in Marine Science · cited 8× · doi

  The interseasonal variations in marine heatwaves remain unclear. The impact of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on marine heatwaves is not well understood. The heat budget equation has not been fully analyzed to understand the interseasonal variations in marine heatwaves.

  generalstated research gapevidence 3/5
  Keywords: interseasonal variations marine heatwaves remain unclear impact o-southern

Questions about this gap