El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a coupled ocean–atmosphere phenomenon centered in the tropical Pacific, characterized by quasi-periodic fluctuations between warm (El Niño), cold (La Niña), and neutral phases. It arises from interactions between equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies, changes in thermocline depth, and variations in trade winds and the Walker circulation. ENSO modulates global atmospheric circulation, influencing precipitation patterns, temperature anomalies, and extreme weather frequency worldwide. It is a primary source of interannual climate variability and is represented and predicted in climate models using indices such as Niño 3.4 and the Southern Oscillation Index, with substantial implications for seasonal forecasting and climate impact assessments.
Cardiff University leads a multidisciplinary research collaboration representing academia and multiple nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to explore Somalia's 2023 El Niño floods and lessons learned from a similar event ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 21, 2026
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The collapse of a landmark Amazon soy pact will drive at least 1.4 million hectares (3.5 million acres) of extra deforestation in Brazil over the next decade, releasing carbon emissions equal to Canada's annual output, according ...
Environment
Jul 17, 2026
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A cave in the interior of Paraná state in Brazil contains a "climate archive" that enabled Brazilian researchers to reconstruct the history of extreme rainfall in Brazil's South Region over the past 7,500 years. Their findings ...
Environment
Jul 15, 2026
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A record-smashing heat wave was spreading Tuesday from the West toward the East Coast, placing nearly 100 million Americans under heat alerts.
Environment
Jul 14, 2026
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Marine scientists at UC Santa Barbara have found that disturbances to giant kelp forests have a major influence on their net primary productivity (NPP)—an indicator of an ecosystem's health and its ability to support its ...
Ecology
Jul 14, 2026
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As scientists around the world closely monitor the possible development of a powerful "Super El Niño," a new study suggests that another tropical ocean deserves equal attention. Researchers have found that temperature changes ...
Environment
Jul 13, 2026
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Why do some coral reefs weather marine heat waves better than others? A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that the answer may lie not only in local ocean conditions, but also in climate patterns that span entire ...
Ecology
Jul 12, 2026
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A "widespread and significant" heat wave is predicted to bring oppressive temperatures to drought-hit western U.S. states over the weekend, with all-time records at risk of falling, the National Weather Service said Friday.
Environment
Jul 11, 2026
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Fifteen people were killed in landslides in the Philippines, and thousands in Taiwan were evacuated from their homes as the biggest typhoon in decades neared the region Friday.
Environment
Jul 10, 2026
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Tropical forests draw down and store large quantities of CO₂ from the atmosphere. The Amazon rainforest in South America, for example, stores approximately 123 billion tons of carbon—more than is stored in any other terrestrial ...
Environment
Jul 10, 2026
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