Articles tagged with El Nino
A multi-agency study found that severe El Niño and La Niña events will cause an increase in storm events leading to extreme coastal flooding and erosion. The research analyzed coastal data from across the Pacific Ocean basin and determined that all Pacific regions were affected during either an El Niño or La Niña year.
During El Nino events, Indonesia experiences drier weather leading to an increase in forest fires on peat-rich land. These fires produce massive greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.
Scientists project higher fire risk in eastern Amazon due to warmer Pacific sea surface temperatures, while western Amazon experiences average or below-average risk. The fire season's severity is driven by the El Niño phenomenon and its impact on rainfall patterns.
A NASA study reveals California's precipitation deficit between 2012 and 2015 was approximately 20 inches, largely due to a lack of atmospheric rivers. The state's water demand has increased exponentially, depleting reservoirs and groundwater reserves, exacerbating the drought.
A new study reveals that ancient El Niño events controlled Baja bunny populations over the past 10,000 years. The research analyzed 3,463 bunny bones and found a strong correlation between El Niño frequency and rabbit abundance.
A new study finds that wind bursts in the western Pacific can significantly impact El Niño events and their severity. The research identifies three distinct varieties of El Niño and explains how westerly wind bursts determine which flavor will occur. This finding could help improve future predictions of these global-scale climate events.
A new study reveals that El Niño and La Niña conditions can predict the frequency of tornadoes and hail storms in susceptible regions of the United States. Moderate La Niña events lead to more tornadoes and hail storms, while El Niño suppresses both types of storms.
Research shows global warming could double the frequency of extreme La Niúna events, leading to increased droughts and floods globally. This could also lead to weather patterns switching between extremes of wet and dry, with profound socio-economic consequences.
A new study analyzes past El Niño changes to predict future climate shifts. The research found that natural climate forces such as ice cover and greenhouse gases impact ENSO variability.
Scientists found that El Niño fuels intense hurricanes in the region by altering atmospheric conditions, providing additional energy to tropical cyclones. The study reveals an oceanic pathway bringing heat into the basin two or three seasons after winter peak.
A new time-lapse animation of data from NOAA's GOES-West satellite reveals the movement of a record-setting storm system that brought heavy rainfall to Southern California. The storm, fueled by warm moisture from the Pacific Ocean, merged with a low-pressure system, resulting in torrential rains and setting new records for some areas.
A team of researchers used state-of-the-art computer models to examine the influence of atmospheric carbon dioxide, ice sheet melting and changes in Earth's orbit on El Nino over the last 21,000 years. The study found that El Nino has intensified over the past 6,000 years, with feedbacks between ocean and atmosphere growing stronger.
A study published in BMC found that children born during and after the 1997-98 El Niño event had lower height-for-age and lean mass, indicating chronic malnutrition. The researchers warn that climate change may increase the frequency of El Niño episodes, posing a significant risk to future generations.
The 2014 global ocean warming is a result of North Pacific's record-breaking warming and the release of heat from stored water in the Western tropical Pacific. Temperatures now extend along the North American coast, indicating an end to the 14-year-long pause in ocean warming.
A new study using coral samples from a remote Pacific island in Kiribati reveals the ocean has warmed over the last sixty years, priming it for stronger El Niáo events. This warming trend could have a major impact on Australia's weather, particularly during El Niáo events when warm waters move eastward and bring droughts.
Researchers examine how westerly wind pulses impact El Niño's strength, suggesting a link between these events and the phenomenon's duration. Scientists also explore drilling into small volcanoes to better understand future hazards.
Scientists have found that ancient El Niño cycles were as strong and frequent 10,000 years ago as they are today. The new record, based on analysis of 25-foot piles of shells, contradicts a widely held interpretation of past climate, suggesting that current understanding of the El Niño system is incomplete.
Tropical Storm Julio is part of a heated Eastern Pacific, with warmer waters contributing to its development. The storm's trajectory and potential impact on Hawaii are being closely monitored by forecasters.
A new study reveals that traditional and central Pacific El Niño events have distinct effects on global surface temperatures. Global temperatures were anomalously warm during traditional El Niño events but not during central Pacific events, which occur more frequently now.
During strong El Niño events, tropical western Pacific sees a sudden drop in sea level, causing prolonged droughts in Samoa and triggering tropical cyclones near Tahiti. Computer climate models predict that these drops could become seasons ahead, helping island communities prepare for the next event.
Scientists predict a doubling of extreme El Nino events as the world warms, leading to increased heat waves and droughts. The research found that the eastern Pacific Ocean will warm, causing massive changes in global rainfall patterns.
Researchers find Amazon deforestation could reduce rain and snowfall in the western US, resulting in water and food shortages. A study suggests a 50% reduction in Sierra Nevada snowpack could occur if the Amazon is stripped bare.
Researchers have found that El Nino events have been more active and intense over the past 30 years than at any time in the past 600 years. As global average temperatures increase, these extreme events are expected to become even more frequent and severe.
A new approach to analyzing paleo-climate reconstructions reveals that El Niño activity during the 20th century was unusually high compared to past 600 years. The study found ENSO activity to be more active between 1979-2009 than any 30-year period in the past 600 years.
Research suggests that external changes can impact the strength and timing of El Niño events. Over 4,300 years, the ENSO cycle has changed due to natural influences on the Earth's climate, such as variations in its orbit around the sun.
Scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have developed a novel approach to forecast El Niño events, extending the prediction time to one year or more. The method employs network analysis and was tested successfully, predicting the absence of an El Niño event in the last year.
A new tree-ring record reveals El Niño was unusually active in the late 20th century, suggesting a response to global warming. This finding has implications for climate models and predictions of future ENSO activity.
A new study reveals climate change is altering Southern Hemisphere circulation patterns, with mid-latitude high pressure zones being pushed further into the Southern Ocean. Rising global temperatures are driving winds south, contradicting expectations from strong El Niño events.
A 17-year study on coral colonies off South America reveals the devastating impact of El Niño on coral diversity and density. The study found that it took 13 years for the coral reef system in Brazil to recover from the event, highlighting their vulnerability to climate-related changes.
Researchers discovered a 15-month wind pattern that explains El Niño's close ties to the annual cycle. This unusual atmospheric pattern triggers droughts and floods in various regions. The study suggests that improved climate models will improve El Niño forecasts.
Researchers found a strong correlation between summer monsoon and climate patterns that preceded it, enabling forecasts to predict the monsoon a few months in advance. The study discovered that El Niño's influence on the Indian Ocean temperature and atmospheric anomalies in the western Pacific amplifies each other.
Researchers have discovered a 22-year record of atmospheric chemistry in Antarctic snow, revealing clear connections between oxygen anomalies and global El Nino events. This breakthrough enables the reconstruction of paleoclimate cycles, providing new insights into Earth's climate history.
Scientists analyzed fossil corals to expand El Nino-Southern Oscillation information, helping assess accuracy of climate models for 21st century change in the tropical Pacific. The study detected a modest increase in 20th century ENSO strength, but also found higher levels of variability 400 years ago.
A study by MIT estimates that tropical regions will see 10% heavier rainfall extremes with every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature, posing significant risks for flooding. The research suggests a higher sensitivity of tropical extreme rainfall to global warming than previously thought.
Researchers have made significant breakthroughs in measuring ocean currents between North Atlantic and Nordic Seas, providing new insights into global ocean circulation. Additionally, a team has successfully observed the entire thermal infrared spectrum of atmospheric gases for the first time, shedding light on greenhouse gas absorption.
Research published in PLOS ONE found that warmer, drier conditions associated with El Niño led to higher mortality rates for leatherback turtle eggs and hatchlings. Climate models project that these conditions will become more common, threatening the already endangered species.
Climate conditions at nesting beaches affect early survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings, with warmer El Niño conditions linked to higher mortality rates. The study predicts a 50% drop in egg and hatchling survival by 2112 due to global climate change.
Researchers found El Niño's warm sea surface temperatures and the North Atlantic Oscillation's fluctuation contributed to extreme winter storms in the US. The study used a computer model to simulate the atmosphere and isolated the role of sea surface temperatures in driving snowstorms.
Researchers found that the El Niño effect drives faster conversion of CO2 in the terrestrial biosphere, leading to a revised estimate of global primary productivity. The new value suggests that land plants are more productive than previously thought, with implications for climate models and future carbon cycle research.
Researchers found phase synchronization between El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the annual temperature cycle in the eastern equatorial Pacific. This phenomenon indicates that at certain times El Niño and the annual cycle run according to the same beat, while at other times their phases 'slip past' each other.
Researchers investigated 50-million-year-old clam shells and wood from Antarctica, finding a climate rhythm resembling El Niño and La Niña in the South Pacific Ocean. The results indicate that global warming may not disrupt the ENSO climate rhythm above the South Pacific Ocean.
A study found that El Niño boosts temperatures and cuts rainfall, doubling the risk of civil wars in affected tropical countries. The research tracked ENSO from 1950 to 2004 and correlated it with onsets of conflicts, finding that El Niño may have played a role in 21% of civil wars worldwide.
Research on ancient fossilized clams yields new insights into the relationship between global warming and El Niño. The study suggests that the ENSO system was still active 50 million years ago, despite very warm temperatures during the Eocene period.
Researchers found that La Nina's cold phase leads to marginal rainfall and stronger winds in East Africa, while El Niño warm phase causes weak wind conditions with frequent rain. The study tracked climate variations to the last ice age using Lake Challa sediment cores.
A new study by NOAA finds that strong El Niño years can lead to nearly three times the average number of storm surge events along the East Coast, with a third-of-a-foot elevation in mean sea level. Coastal communities may need to prepare for higher sea levels and more destructive storm surges.
A team of climate scientists has found that annually resolved tree-ring records from North America can be used to improve El Niño prediction in climate models. The study shows that the intensity of El Niño events has been highly variable, with decades of strong and weak activity over the past 1,100 years.
A team of researchers has made significant strides in understanding the long-term history of El Niño, a global climate phenomenon that impacts much of the world. By reconstructing sea surface temperatures over the past 14,000 years, the study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of this complex system.
Climate change exacerbates the effects of El Niño on coral reef fish populations, leading to a near-absence of young fish necessary for adult replenishment. This process allows fish to feed on plankton and escape predators, but may now become an Achilles' heel in changing waters.
Scientists have found toxic levels of chemicals near the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site, with PAH concentrations extending up to 13 kilometers from the wellhead. A global study on moisture recycling reveals that water can originate from distant regions or be recycled within a region, affecting global water resources.
Researchers have found significant regional variations in the western Antarctic ice sheet due to El Nino fluctuations, affecting global sea levels. The study suggests that precipitation patterns play a crucial role in mass balance changes, with the Antarctic Peninsula experiencing increased snowfall during La Nina years.
Scientists link El Nino Modoki to long-term changes in North Pacific Ocean currents, affecting fish stocks and ocean nutrient distributions. The North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) is intensifying due to increasing frequency of El Nino Modoki.
Researchers discovered a relict coral reef in the southern Pacific Ocean that thrived thousands of years ago, providing insight into how reefs adapted to sea level changes. Additionally, heavy snowfall in the US and Europe was caused by the collision of El Niño and negative North Atlantic Oscillation weather patterns.
Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found that carbon dioxide-induced global warming is killing off a major coral species in the Red Sea. Coral growth has declined by 30% and may cease altogether by 2070 due to summer sea surface temperatures remaining 1.5 degrees Celsius above ambient.
A study published in Science reveals that the Northern Pacific and Southern Atlantic's subpolar regions have played a crucial role in shaping tropical climates. This research provides empirical evidence that high-latitude oceans can influence tropical climate patterns, with potential implications for future global warming scenarios.
Researchers verified reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from Chinese power plants using satellite monitoring. The study also predicts the evolution of central Pacific El Niño events, finding links to thermocline depth and its impact on weather patterns.
A new study finds that a pathogen, not climate change, killed the Monteverde golden toad. Researchers reconstructed moisture levels in the cloud forest over the last century and discovered that dry spells closely tracked El Niño events.
A 30-year record low in Antarctic snowmelt was likely caused by strong positive phases for two main climate drivers, ENSO and SAM. The Antarctic snowmelt is expected to revert to higher norms as the damage to the ozone layer is repaired.
Researchers reconstructed spatial patterns of ocean and land surface temperature over the past 1500 years using diverse climate proxies. They found dynamic connections between natural phenomena like El Niño and regional temperature changes.
Research published in PLoS Medicine found associations between local rainfall and temperature with cases of dengue fever, but no significant link with El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Large outbreaks occur every few years in many tropical countries, with temperature and rainfall varying strongly on an annual scale.
Researchers analyzed global warming's impact on four New World monkey species, finding a significant drop in their populations during climate fluctuations. The team used statistical models to investigate how food resources and tree responses related to temperature and rainfall patterns.