started · updated
El Niño intensity increases by 37% due to climate change
A new study published in the journal Science, led by researchers at the University of Michigan, reveals that El Niño events have intensified significantly due to human-driven climate change. By analyzing the chemical composition of 13 modern and ancient coral samples from the Galápagos Islands, scientists reconstructed sea surface temperatures over the last 1,000 years.
The findings show that El Niño variability in the eastern Pacific is now approximately 36% to 37% stronger than in the pre-industrial era. Notably, the intensity has increased by about 16% over the last 40 years, indicating an accelerating trend. Climate models simulating natural factors like volcanic eruptions and solar activity failed to account for this intensification, pointing to global warming from fossil fuel combustion as the primary driver.
The strengthening of El Niño poses severe risks to global weather patterns, potentially exacerbating droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires. In Central America, the phenomenon is already contributing to a climate emergency, with Panama declaring a national state of emergency due to water stress and drought affecting the Panama Canal. Experts warn that the current developing El Niño could become one of the strongest on record.
Entities
Adam Scaife · El Niño-Southern Oscillation · Galápagos Islands · Jonathan Overpeck · Julia Cole · Met Office · NASA · NOAA · Pacific Ocean · Panama Canal · Panama Canal Authority · Science
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 24 SOURCES] Researchers used geochemical measurements from Galapagos corals to reconstruct sea surface temperatures over the last 1,000 years. santaportal.com.br · contextohn.com · www.laverdadpa.com · diarioroatan.com · elineanoticias.com · +12 more
- [● 25 SOURCES] Climate change is amplifying the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon. santaportal.com.br · information.tv5monde.com · contextohn.com · www.laverdadpa.com · diarioroatan.com · +13 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Current El Niño signals are unprecedented in intensity compared to previous forecasts.
- [● 19 SOURCES] El Niño events over the last four decades have been approximately 40% more intense than those in the pre-industrial era. santaportal.com.br · contextohn.com · www.laverdadpa.com · diarioroatan.com · elineanoticias.com · +9 more
- [● 16 SOURCES] None of the El Niño events recorded in the last 40 years have an equivalent in the 1,000 years prior to 1850. contextohn.com · www.laverdadpa.com · diarioroatan.com · elineanoticias.com · dev.tnonline.com.br · +7 more
- [● 18 SOURCES] The increase in El Niño intensity has been 16% in just the last 40 years. dev.tnonline.com.br · tribunadepetropolis.com.br · contextohn.com · www.laverdadpa.com · diarioroatan.com · +9 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] El Niño events during the past 40 years have become 36% stronger than those before the industrial revolution. dev.tnonline.com.br · santaportal.com.br · tribunadepetropolis.com.br · madhyamamonline.com · lavozhispanact.com · +2 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A developing El Niño could see Pacific sea surface temperatures rise more than 3°C above normal. www.theweather.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] Strong El Niño episodes in the Eastern Pacific are unusual in the context of the last 1,000 years and stand well above pre-industrial levels. news.tuoitre.vn · information.tv5monde.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] There is a 69% chance that the upcoming El Niño will reach +2.5°C. www.politiquematin.fr · www.economiematin.fr
- [● 5 SOURCES] Climate models simulating the last 1,000 years did not identify natural factors, such as volcanic eruptions or solar activity, that could explain the recent intensification. epirusonline.gr · www.businessdaily.gr · www.ertnews.gr · sondakikakibris.com · forbesliberia.com
- [● 9 SOURCES] Researchers analyzed chemical compositions from 13 modern and ancient coral samples from the Galapagos Islands. epirusonline.gr · www.businessdaily.gr · www.ertnews.gr · sondakikakibris.com · forbesliberia.com · +4 more