As one of the largest heat reservoirs in the climate system, the global ocean absorbs more than 90% of the excess energy from ongoing anthropogenic warming. In the last century, the greatest warming in the ocean has occurred in the upper 500 m, with relatively weak warming in the deep ocean, corresponding to a small ocean heat storage efficiency of ~0.1.

A recent study led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds new light on how human activities have altered the composition of the atmosphere over time, particularly focusing on secondary organic aerosols (SOA). These aerosols play a significant role in air quality and climate change, making it crucial to understand their evolution from the preindustrial era to the present day.