El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a coupled ocean–atmosphere phenomenon in the tropical Pacific characterized by quasi-periodic fluctuations between warm (El Niño), cold (La Niña), and neutral phases. It arises from interactions among equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperatures, trade winds, and the Walker circulation, producing large-scale anomalies in convection, thermocline depth, and surface pressure, notably the Southern Oscillation index. ENSO modulates global atmospheric circulation, altering precipitation, temperature, and storm tracks on interannual timescales, and serves as a key source of seasonal-to-interannual climate variability and predictability in climate diagnostics and modeling.
Residents of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington know it is always wise to prepare for any weather—to pack sunglasses, a raincoat and at least one extra layer. This "be prepared for anything" approach can equally be applied to ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 8, 2026
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Researchers have identified five key ways countries across the globe can be better prepared for the impending El Niño—and reduce its potentially devastating toll on human health.
Environment
Oct 7, 2026
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During the 2023–2024 El Niño, about 75% of the world's tropical forest areas experienced at least six months of unprecedented simultaneous drought and heat. According to a study published in Earth's Future, this scenario ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 7, 2026
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El Niño and warming in the tropical Atlantic could help provide advance warning of extreme heat in the Amazon, with some signals appearing as much as seven months earlier, new research has found. Researchers from the ARC ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 6, 2026
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When you swim through the azure waters of the Great Barrier Reef, there is one creature on the seafloor that's almost impossible to miss: the giant clam. Its huge, fluted shell frames a soft mantle shimmering with electric ...
Ecology
Oct 4, 2026
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448
The Pacific Ocean is warming unusually quickly, and this year's El Niño has already surpassed previous records. Forecasters expect it to strengthen even further before approaching its usual peak around December.
Environment
Oct 3, 2026
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71
Fishermen along Latin America's Pacific coast are reeling in half-empty nets as ocean warming aggravated by El Niño causes tuna, anchovies and other top catches to migrate to cooler waters.
Environment
Oct 1, 2026
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16
In the highlands of Papua New Guinea, crops have been killed by drought and frost. Severe frosts have destroyed food crops such as taro, sweet potatoes, bananas and sugarcane, leaving some local communities scrambling for ...
Agriculture
Sep 30, 2026
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9
Climate patterns in the tropics help determine how much snow falls from year to year in Antarctica, one of the coldest, windiest and driest places on Earth. New research from the University of Utah shows that tropical conditions ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 29, 2026
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47
Strong winds battered Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Monday ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Polo, a major El Niño-charged storm expected to cause severe damage along the Pacific coast.
Environment
Sep 28, 2026
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