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Washington: A new study published in Science suggests that as global temperatures rise, El Niño occurrences have become much stronger, based on coral skeletons dating back roughly 1,000 years.
Researchers examined living and fossilised corals from the Galápagos Islands, utilising chemical traces in their skeletons to recreate monthly ocean temperatures throughout centuries. El Niño-related temperature changes were generally mild between 1000 and 1850, gradually increased in the late 19th century, and have significantly increased during the last 40 years.
The study estimates that ENSO variability in the eastern equatorial Pacific is now about 36% higher than during the pre-industrial era, mostly because of stronger El Niño events.
Stronger El Niño episodes may intensify extreme weather events worldwide, raising concerns about the effects of climate change.
