Coral Records Show El Niño Events Have Intensified as Planet Warms

A recent study published in Science on August 27 indicates that El Niño occurrences have become more severe in the last few decades, likely as a result of climate change driven by human activities. Researchers examined coral samples from the Galápagos Islands and discovered that ENSO variability in the last 40 years is 36 percent higher than during preindustrial times and 16 percent above levels recorded from 1851 to 1982. The research, led by Julia Cole from the University of Michigan and Diane Thompson from the University of Arizona, suggests that while human-induced global warming may be the likely cause, a definitive causal link has not been established. Forecasters anticipate a 'super' El Niño, with a nearly 70 percent probability of it being the strongest since 1950.