As super El Nino strengthens, study suggests that climate change is intensifying El Ninos

A recent study published in the journal Science reveals that El Ninos, natural climatic phenomena that cause spikes in global temperatures, are growing stronger due to human-induced climate change. The research, led by paleoclimate scientist Julia Cole from the University of Michigan, found that El Ninos are now 36% stronger than they were during the industrial age that began in the mid-1800s.

This increase has accelerated by 16% over the last 40 years. El Ninos, which are temporary warming of parts of the equatorial Pacific, lead to extreme weather events worldwide, causing damage estimated in trillions of dollars. Study co-author Boris Worm, a marine scientist at Dalhousie University, emphasized that El Ninos are one of the most violent aspects of global climate variability, causing widespread impacts such as fisheries collapse, coral die-offs, and severe droughts.