From Jim Steele

Scientists pushing CO2 warming, dishonestly push the myth that CO2 warms the ocean.

First understand, CO2 infrared only penetrates a few microns depth compared to solar heating that warms the sub-surface to several meters depth, creating the diurnal warm layer (graphic B)

Second, the ocean’s skin layer is the only layer where heat can ventilate from the ocean. Absorbed solar heat creates a temperature gradient where conduction moves heat from the diurnal warm layer up towards the cooler skin surface and out to the atmosphere. 98% of the time the ocean heats the atmosphere. The atmosphere does not heat the ocean.

The skin surface is always the coolest layer because as soon as any downward infrared from greenhouse gases heats the micron thick skin surface, the skin surface radiates that heat away, as the laws of physics dictate! Furthermore, any heating of the skin surface increases evaporation and promotes evaporative cooling. And finally skin surface heat is also conducted away by the atmosphere. Thus even at night after most solar heat has been ventilated, the skin surface is cooler than subsurface layers. (graphic A)

Measurements show the skin surface radiates away infrared from the combined inputs of solar heating that rises to the skin surface and infrared heating absorbed by the skin surface (bottom graph). The skin surface cannot trap heat. However subsurface layers trap heat because of the time delay for that heat to reach the skin surface to ventilate. Furthermore, heat is trapped in the ocean subsurface where ever solar heated subsurface layers are overlain by fresher water that suppresses convection.

To better understand this dynamic watch or read: Science of Solar Ponds Challenges the Climate Crisis