A new study finds that climate change has become a significant factor in the formation of El Niños.
A new study finds that climate change has become a significant factor in the formation of El Niños.
During El Niño, warm waters pool in the eastern Pacific and radiate heat into the air, leading to hotter weather across much of the globe. A strong El Niño is now taking shape and, according to NOAA, there is a 99 percent chance that 2023 will be the hottest year ever recorded.
The new study shows that, historically, there was a strong link between changes in solar output and the onset of El Niño, but now El Niño is more heavily influenced by human-caused warming.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
Image: The 2016 El Niño. Warmer colors indicate unusually high sea surface temperatures, while cooler colors indicate unusually low sea surface temperatures. (Credit: NOAA)
