Increased heat uptake across three oceans North Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and Equatorial Pacific Ocean is the likely cause of the 'warming hiatus' the current decade-long slowdown in global surface warming, says a study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

The increased oceanic heat drawdown has played a significant role in the hiatus, the findings showed. The deeper understanding gained in this study of the processes and regions responsible for variations in oceanic heat drawdown and retention would improve the accuracy of future climate projections, the researchers claim. The researchers used data from a range of state-of-the-art ocean and atmosphere models.

This study attributes the increased oceanic heat drawdown in the equatorial Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Ocean to specific, different mechanisms in each region. The significance of the research lies in the fact that the current climate models have been unable to simulate the hiatus. This study gives clues to where the heat is drawn down and by which processes.

Previously, the drawdown of heat by the Equatorial Pacific Ocean over the hiatus period, due to cool sea-surface temperatures associated with a succession of cool-surface La Nina episodes, was thought to be sufficient to explain the hiatus. This new analysis however revealed that the northern North Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and Equatorial Pacific Ocean are all important regions of ocean heat uptake.

P.S.- For more information please go thru the below links-

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=10670938214

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-12/uos-nse120314.php

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=10670938214

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2014/12/03-role-of-oceans.page

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/oes/news/2014/12/new_study_explains_the_role_of_oceans_in_global_warming_hiatus.page

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141203083754.htm