El Niño Intensifies: Climate Change Suspected

A comprehensive study indicates that the climate pattern driving El Niño is becoming more erratic and intense as the planet warms. Research published in the journal Science reveals that El Niño events over the past four decades have become 36% stronger compared to those before the industrial revolution.

Analysis of ancient and living corals from the Galápagos Islands provides a millennium-long record of past temperatures. This data, combined with climate model results, suggests that recent El Niño events, particularly those starting from 1982-1983, show a dramatic increase in intensity not seen in the prior thousand years.

While the study stops short of a definitive attribution, researchers highlight human-caused global warming as the most likely cause for these shifts in El Niño's characteristics. These intensified events have the potential to further increase global average surface temperatures and trigger extreme weather worldwide.

Scientists are racing to collect more coral samples, as warming oceans threaten the very organisms providing these crucial climate insights. The findings suggest that stronger El Niño events are becoming the new norm, with significant implications for global communities and ecosystems.