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[INTERNATIONAL] · Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras · 100 sources

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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.

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Adam Scaife · El Niño-Southern Oscillation · Galápagos Islands · Jonathan Overpeck · Julia Cole · Met Office · NASA · NOAA · Pacific Ocean · Panama Canal · Panama Canal Authority · Science

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