"The Blob": A Monstrous Oceanic Heat Wave Hits Western US Coast
The Blob was localized all along the coast belt between Southern California peninsula to Alaska. | Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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Five years after the rise of water temperature all along the coast belt between Southern California peninsula to Alaska, another oceanic heatwave has formed on the Pacific coast of North America.
Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are worried about the reappearance of a gigantic oceanic heat wave in front of the western U.S. coast that threatens a repeat of the devastating effects of a similar phenomenon in 2014.
This unprecedented situation, since the start of registering temperatures in 1981, persisted over the next few years causing the death of millions of sea animals. Because of its destructive nature and of the unmeasurable damages to ecology and industry, this phenomenon was named after Chuck Russell’s 1988-movie “The Blob”, the shapeless unstoppable monster.
Five years ago as a result of the rising of water temperature all along the coast belt between the Southern California peninsula to Alaska an increase in the proliferation of toxic seaweed killed over 100 million of Pacific cod as well as half a million sea birds. Other species affected where humpback whales, sea lions, salmons and little crustaceans.
The oceanic heatwave is about to reach previous years' temperatures.
NOAA scientist Andrew Leising says that it’s about to become as big as 2014, but it hasn’t achieved the same temperature of its predecessor. Also, experts say that this kind of events can disappear as fast as they emergence. However, “Blobs” are going to be more and more frequent because of global warming.