The rate of ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past four decades, according to a new study on Tuesday, explaining why 2023 and early 2024 saw unprecedentedly high sea temperatures.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, showed that ocean temperatures were rising at about 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade in the late 1980s. However, they are currently increasing at 0.27 degrees Celsius per decade.