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Science Themes

Theme 1. Recent Changes in Arctic & Antarctic Sea Ice

Rapid changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice are among the clearest and most societally relevant indicators of a changing climate. Over recent decades, observations and models show strong declines in Arctic sea ice extent and thickness, alongside more complex and regionally varying changes around Antarctica, with significant implications for ocean circulation, ecosystems, and wider climate feedbacks.

This theme will bring participants together to diagnose recent variability, trends and drivers of sea ice change in the NOC Near-Present Day ocean sea-ice hierarchy.

Theme 2. Atlantic Overturning in a Changing Climate

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a central role in regulating climate by redistributing heat, freshwater, and carbon throughout the global ocean, with far-reaching impacts on regional weather, sea level, and ecosystems. There is growing interest and debate over the extent to which the AMOC has varied in recent decades and how it may respond to ongoing climate change, including whether the AMOC can be considered a critical climate tipping point.

In this theme, participants will analyse the NOC Near-Present Day hierarchy to diagnose recent AMOC variability and trends, and assess the consistency of simulated changes across different model configurations.

Theme 3. Ocean Heat Uptake and Marine Extremes

The upper ocean is the principal reservoir for excess heat in the climate system, and changes in upper ocean heat content directly influence sea surface temperature variability and marine heatwaves with profound impacts on regional weather, ecosystems, and society. Understanding how and where the ocean absorbs heat — and how this uptake translates into variability and extremes at the sea surface — is essential for interpreting recent climate change and to improve future climate projections.

This theme will bring participants together to examine recent changes in upper ocean heat content, diagnose the processes controlling heat uptake and redistribution, and analyse the emergence of sea surface temperature extremes in the NOC Near-Present Day ocean sea-ice hierarchy.