As a record breaking El Niño continues to grow in the Eastern Pacific, climate scientist Daniel Swain explains what may be in store for the next year as we brace for an El Niño “so far above anything we've previously seen, it doesn't even fit on the same axis.”
We’re going into extreme territory with this one, probably record breaking. It’s possible we could have another one in a couple years. But it would be pretty hard to have another strong one just a couple years from now because this one looks like it really will discharge the battery. But simultaneously, the battery is getting larger and refilling more quickly with global warming.
So it’s a bigger and bigger battery over time. The vast majority of the energy that’s accumulating in the Earth’s system due to climate change is stored in the oceans. So El Niño is one of the ways that the ocean “burps” out this extra heat.
The important part.
Let’s call it a “+1.5℃ ENSO event.” It is a bit climate chaos debt coming due.
The important part.
Let’s call it a “+1.5℃ ENSO event.” It is a bit climate chaos debt coming due.