Temperatures Across Amazon Lakes Spike to Alarming Levels

In yet another example of how global warming is changing the world around us, a new study out of Brazil shows that the lakes in the Amazon are getting hotter with each passing year. Some of the water temperatures have soared to levels that are above the recommended limits for hot tubs. Read on for more information about what the scientists found.

Lakes Across the Amazon as Warm as Hot Tubs at Times

The lakes across the world are recognized as keepers of climate change, with water temperatures increasing along with air temperatures. However, the bulk of the research in the past has focused on temperate lakes instead of bodies of water located in the tropics. A group of scientists in Brazil has taken it on themselves to change this focus by studying the lakes closer to home in the Amazon. What they found is alarming.

The researchers gathered satellite data to analyze 10 lakes in the Amazon during a catastrophic heat wave and drought that took place on the continent in September and October of 2023. The extreme conditions sent water levels falling to all-time lows.

Daytime temperatures in half of the lakes were considered to be "exceptionally high," coming in at 98.6 degrees. Temperatures of this magnitude are a rarity in bodies of water this large, even in the tropics, where steamy conditions are the norm. For context, average daytime temperatures in lakes in the Amazon tend to hover in the mid 80s.