Despite the El Niño–Southern Oscillation’s global reach and complex ocean–atmosphere interactions across timescales, two simple, elegant equations capture its key dynamics and defining properties.
ENSO
Posted inNews
Busy Hurricane Season Expected in 2025
A new NOAA report predicts an active Atlantic hurricane season, though global weather patterns could still shift predictions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Interplay of ENSO and Immunity in Infectious Disease Outbreaks
El Niño and La Niña events can affect the spread of infectious diseases including cholera and dengue fever. The effects of some diseases may persist over several years.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Three Studies Point to El Niño as Key to 2023 Record Global Heat
Three recent studies reveal how the interplay between El Niño and long-term global warming drove the record-breaking global temperatures of 2023.
Posted inNews
“Exceptional” Global Warming Spike Continued in 2024
More than 3 billion people experienced their hottest year ever in 2024 because of anthropogenic climate change. The world is speeding toward its 1.5°C warming target.
Posted inNews
Darker, Less Cloudy Earth Contributed to Record Heat
Decreases to our planet’s albedo caused by fewer low-lying clouds helped push temperatures to historic highs in 2023, according to new research.
Posted inOpinions
Earth Scientists Are Crucial to International Development
Global development agencies traditionally hire experts in human systems. As these agencies focus more on climate and environmental initiatives, they need informed guidance from Earth system scientists.
Posted inNews
Mega El Niño May Have Led to Major Mass Extinction 252 Million Years Ago
The extreme climate conditions wrought by a decades-long ENSO pattern could be the culprit in the Great Dying, which wiped out nearly 90% of life on Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Amazonian Drought May Have Long-Lasting Effects on Carbon Cycle
Dry conditions stemming from the 2015–2016 El Niño caused significant carbon loss.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
In Hot Water and Beyond: Marine Extremes Escalate
A new study suggests marine life is increasingly faced with triple-threat events in which extreme water temperature, low oxygen levels, and acidification converge.