PMEL in the News
Ocean temperatures are off the charts, and El Niño is only partly to blame
In a world of worsening climate extremes, a single red line has caught many people’s attention. The line, which charts sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean, went viral over the weekend for its startling display of unprecedented warming — nearly 2 degrees (1.09 Celsius) above the mean dating back to 1982, the earliest year with comparable data. Greg Johnson is quoted.
A big El Niño is looming. Here’s what it means for our weather.
How warm water in the Pacific shapes storms, droughts, and record heat around the world. Mike McPhaden is quoted.
World’s Oceans, Atmosphere Are Simmering as El Niño Approaches
The planet is simmering, both on land and at sea, and that could signal more record temperatures for the remainder of 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Mike McPhaden is quoted.
El Ninos are far costlier than once thought, in the trillions, study says -- and one’s brewing now
The natural burst of El Nino warming that changes weather worldwide is far costlier with longer-lasting expenses than experts had thought, averaging trillions of dollars in damage, a new study found. Mike McPhaden is quoted.
El Niño is getting stronger. That could cost the global economy trillions
A new study found some of the most intense past El Niño events cost the global economy more than $4 trillion over the following years. Mike McPhaden, a senior scientist at NOAA and who was not involved in the research, said the study was “very insightful and provocative.”