Articles tagged with El Nino
A new study by NC State University archaeologist Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick reveals that Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe was likely aided by unusual weather conditions, including an El Niño event. This led Magellan to sail far north of the Spice Islands and miss his intended destination.
Researchers found that El Nino winters lead to altered jet stream positions, resulting in intensified storm activity in several US regions. The study analyzed daily records of snow and rainfall events over 49 US winters, finding a connection between ENSO events and increased probability of severe winter storms.
A team of Chilean and IRD scientists found that the Pacific seaboard experienced significant cooling between 1820 and 1878 due to a large continent-ocean temperature contrast. This discovery sheds new light on El Niño's variability, which may intensify in a warming world.
A study by Yale biologists investigated the genetic diversity of Galápagos marine iguanas before and after the 1997 El Niño event, revealing differing responses among populations. The research highlights the importance of studying population genetics over time to understand vulnerability to environmental stresses.
A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that greenhouse gases played a significant role in the near-record US warmth in 2006. The research team found that greenhouse gas increases enhanced the probability of record-breaking temperatures by approximately 15-fold, making El Nino an unlikely contributor.
Large Humboldt squid have invaded the sea off Central California, where they are feeding on commercially important fishery species like hake and anchovy. This shift may be linked to a decrease in large tuna and billfish populations in the Equatorial Pacific, allowing the squid to expand their range.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution compiled longest-ever record of Atlantic hurricane strikes, revealing strong connection between El Niño/Southern Oscillation and West African monsoon. Long-term trends indicate periods of more frequent intense hurricanes from 5,000 to 3,600 years ago and 1700 AD to present.
A new study finds that Indonesian rice farming is greatly affected by short-term climate variability, with potential for significant harm from long-term climate change. Climate models predict a shortened rainy season and increased dryness in some areas, squeezing farmers on both ends.
A NASA study suggests that tiny dust particles may have contributed to the relatively calm 2006 Atlantic hurricane season by cooling ocean waters. The research found that Saharan dust concentrations played a major role in shaping the season, potentially even initiating pre-existing conditions due to El Niño.
A national climate service could help with forecasts of climate fluctuations, providing months of advance warnings for water and power managers, private industries, and those charged with human safety. The service would also project scenarios of climate change for specific regions up to a hundred years out.
The new website provides frequent updates on changing ocean temperatures, with two primary types of data: actual temperature readings and sea surface temperature anomalies. Sea surface temperature changes can influence climate, weather, and hurricane patterns, making the website a valuable tool for scientists.
NASA's Aqua and Jason satellites have observed a general warming of ocean temperatures and a rise in sea surface heights in the central and eastern Pacific along the equator, indicating El Niño development. The current El Niño signal is far less dramatic than that seen during the start of the last major El Niño episode in 1997-1998.
Global warming is likely to change river flows in ways that may result in both increased flood risk and water shortages. The predictions assume atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration doubles from preindustrial levels, leading to higher winter-time river flows and lower spring and summer flows.
A study by British Antarctic Survey found a six-year time lag between sea temperature changes and whale breeding success. Sea surface temperatures in the Southern Ocean have increased by 1°C over the past 50 years, posing a threat to southern right whales' recovery.
Phytoplankton population and size can change dramatically due to El Niño and La Niña events, affecting ocean ecology and influencing the climate. These changes impact carbon storage in the ocean, which in turn helps stabilize carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.
Researchers discovered a stable state in the ocean-atmosphere system that is dramatically different from today's, contradicting previous studies. This finding suggests the Earth's system functioned differently in the past, and highlights the need for improved climate models to reproduce various climate states.
A recent study found that desert vegetation can maintain dry conditions in the soil, minimizing leaching of wastes into underlying aquifers. This has important implications for radioactive and hazardous waste disposal, as well as water resources management.
A recent study challenges traditional theory that El Niño-La Niña cycles affect sardine and anchovy populations differently. Researchers found that sardines can thrive in warm waters during El Niño events, while anchovies adapt to cold conditions by extending their reproduction periods.
A decade-long study on water availability in the Yakima River Valley found expected losses to agriculture of $92-163 million by mid-century due to projected snowpack reductions. Climate models predict up to 70% reduction in snowpack for the West Coast, with severe droughts becoming more frequent.
El Nino forecasting can aid in managing high-yield fisheries with boom-and-bust cycles, controlling tropical diseases like mosquito-caused malaria, and protecting marine mammals and other ocean species. By predicting ENSO events nine months in advance, scientists can deploy resources effectively.
The 2004 global average temperature was 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 1951-1980 baseline, making it the fourth warmest year on record. Human-made pollutants play a significant role in climate change, with Earth's surface absorbing more solar energy than reflected back to space.
Researchers developed an index using satellite data to accurately predict the arrival of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. The study found that fluctuations in rainfall and wintertime precipitation in the eastern Indian Ocean can signal early shifts in climate leading to El Niño development.
Researchers used TRMM data to identify areas with greatest year-to-year change in rainfall between 1998 and 2003, finding a strong correlation with the El Nino Southern Oscillation. Global rainfall patterns are influenced by El Nino, but some regions like the Bay of Bengal remain unaffected.
Scientists have discovered a unique bi-modal distribution of particles in noctilucent clouds, which may be caused by atmospheric gravity and tidal waves. The San Andreas Fault Observatory project aims to drill into the fault zone to better understand earthquake generation and faulting processes.
Researchers from the University of Maine have found evidence suggesting that changes in Peruvian fisheries occurred centuries before modern fishing practices. The study used archaeological data from ancient fish processing sites and correlated these shifts with El Nino climate patterns.
A statistical model created at Ohio State University predicts sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, providing a way to quantify the uncertainty surrounding El Niño. The model can forecast El Niño six months in advance, giving farmers and commercial fishermen time to plan for the coming season.
Researchers have found that volcanic eruptions in the tropics may play a significant role in triggering El Niño events, with a nearly one-in-two chance of occurrence after an eruption. The study used paleoclimate records to reconstruct volcanic activity and El Niño events over a 350-year period.
Researchers Scott Curtis and Bob Adler found a significant pattern of alternating rainfall for El Niño since 1979. This discovery may help scientists improve rainfall forecasts around the globe during an El Niño event.
A NASA study found that El Nino events, such as the 1997-1998 event, lead to unusually high biomass burning globally, producing more pollution than fossil fuel combustion. The study assessed smoke pollution from biomass burning in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America during these droughts.
Researchers used computer climate models and over 45 years of data to understand the connection between El Niño events and Western US snowfall. They found that ENSO affects atmospheric wind patterns, moist air transport, and Western U.S. precipitation and snow accumulation.
A Purdue research report suggests that ancient lake sediments and computer simulations indicate El Niño might react differently to global warming than current theory claims. The tropical Pacific Ocean maintains its ability to remove heat periodically, even when the climate warms.
Scientists studying the western Pacific Ocean find regional changes in saltiness correspond to changes in upper ocean heat content before an El Nino event. Observing salinity improves predictions, suggesting a lag time of six to 12 months for modifications in ocean layers.
Amazon wildfires contribute significantly to atmospheric carbon dioxide, reducing tree-life viability to less than half of unburned areas. Dr Barlow's research found that fires damage large, thicker-barked trees, leading to increased emissions and further loss of vegetation.
Researchers found that climate change may weaken average El Niño events due to a decline in ocean-atmosphere coupling. However, individual El Niños could still be intense, even in a warmer world. The study simulated past and future behavior of El Niño using the NCAR Climate System Model.
A NASA study analyzed satellite data from 1997-2000 and found that the transition from El Nino to La Nina reversed rainfall patterns in Africa, affecting vegetation greenness. This reversal has implications for agriculture, livestock farming, and vector-borne disease outbreaks.
Researchers have discovered a correlation between El Niño events and stalagmite growth in Belize, revealing changes in the carbon cycle of the overlying rainforest ecosystem. The findings suggest that stalagmites may record important information about weather and carbon fluxes on interannual time scales.
A new NASA-funded study reveals that human-caused land-use changes significantly contribute to climate change, potentially more so than greenhouse gas emissions. The research proposes a method for comparing different climate change factors, highlighting the importance of land surface changes in redistributing heat and affecting regiona...
A new prediction index uses satellite-based data to identify signs of El Niño development in the winter, providing a 6-9 month lead-time. The study found high values that preceded five strongest El Niños, and predicts the next event to begin between July and October 2002.
Researchers predict that El Niño could lead to increased precipitation in the Southwest, alleviating water shortages and reducing wildfire danger. The region has been experiencing severe drought conditions, with reservoirs struggling to meet demand.
A study of coral records from the South-West Pacific reveals that El Niño's behavior remained consistent during the Little Ice Age, with no impact on its strength or frequency. The research suggests that massive corals can provide valuable insights into past climatic phenomena.
A NASA study reveals strong relationships between El Niño episodes and changes in Antarctic sea ice cover, indicating a connection between the Southern Oscillation and global climate. The findings suggest that El Niño affects regional ice distributions, with notable associations observed in the Amundsen, Bellingshausen, and Weddell Seas.
Scientists have found evidence that climate change began around 5000 years ago, with the onset of El Niño being a key factor. Analyzing fish bones, researchers discovered warmer temperatures in the past, which could be linked to changes in fishing resources and cultural complexity.
Researchers found a strong relationship between climate event El Niño and outbreaks of Bartonellosis, an insect-borne disease highly fatal to humans. The study suggests that warming of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean is closely linked to the worst outbreaks, occurring one to three months after El Niño.
Researchers have used Empirical Mode Decomposition to analyze patterns in tropical storm occurrences along the East Coast. The technique reveals four distinct cycles, or modes, that determine the number of hurricanes making landfall each year.
Researchers analyzed ancient coral cores to study climate patterns and found that El Niño was weaker during ice ages, while warm periods saw stronger events. The findings suggest global warming may be responsible for recent intense El Niño events, but more research is needed.
A 21-year global record of precipitation suggests a decrease in rainfall over the Indian Ocean may signal an approaching strong El Niño. This finding could provide nations most affected by El Niños with earlier warning systems to better prepare for devastating climate changes.
Researchers found that El Niño events result in wetter oceans and drier land areas, with droughts more common than floods. Global precipitation patterns show an increase in rain over the Indian monsoon region and a decrease over central Africa during these events.
Two new studies by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, link El Niño winters to increased coastal erosion and shifting sands along California's central coast. The findings show that damaging coastal storms are three times more likely to occur during an El Niño winter than in other years.
Researchers found that survival and reproduction rates for black-throated blue warblers were lower during El Niño years and higher during La Niña years. Climate changes associated with El Niño diminished food supply, causing low reproductive success in breeding grounds.
A recent study suggests that El Nino events can be predicted several months in advance, with seasonal averages in the tropics being the most predictable. The research identifies sea surface temperature, soil wetness, vegetation, and snow cover as key factors influencing weather patterns.
A new computer model predicts that climate events like El Nino can affect Aedes aegypti mosquito populations, potentially leading to outbreaks of dengue disease. The model takes into account climatic variables such as precipitation, temperature, and humidity to forecast population booms and peaks.
Researchers at Penn State used global and regional climate models to investigate climate change differences. They found that regional models produced warmer temperatures, leading to more rain and less snowfall in the Northeastern United States.
Researchers successfully controlled El Nino's behavior in a complex prediction model by altering values for deep ocean waves. This achievement may help improve El Nino event predictions, leading to measures that reduce global damage.
Researchers discovered a correlation between El Nino events and increased rainfall in central Israel over the past 20 years. The study used tree rings, satellite cloud images, and rainwater analysis to identify a link between El Niáo and Israeli rainfall.