Science Source
Colder Eastern Equatorial Pacific and Stronger Walker Circulation in the Early 21st Century: Separating the Forced Response to Global Warming From Natural Variability
Study key findings & significance
- Observations show that the longitudinal (east-west) air and ocean circulation, known as the Walker cell or Walker circulation, has strengthened over recent decades, especially after 1990.
- The study looks at whether the strengthening of the Walker cell is a response to rising CO2 concentrations versus natural variability.
- Since 1980, a sea surface warming pattern in the Northern Hemisphere - Indo West Pacific that – differs from the Pacific Decadal Oscillation – suggests a global warming response.
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Greenhouse warming and internal variability increase extreme and central Pacific El Niño frequency since 1980
Study key findings & significance
- The research identifies the causes behind two observed shifts in El Niño properties since the 1980s: (1) an increase in extreme El Niños and (2) an increase in El Niños where peak ocean warming occurs in the central equatorial Pacific Central Pacific (as opposed to in the far eastern equatorial Pacific).
- Extreme El Niño events have occurred frequently in the past 40 years, at a rate of one event per 13 years, and are characterized by their usually causing reorganizations of atmospheric convection and inducing severe climatic d
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