Environment & Climate
Recent El Niño events are strongest in 1,000 years, coral study finds
Researchers used fossilized corals from the Galápagos to construct a millennium-long temperature record.
The short version
- A University of Michigan-led study reconstructed a 1,000-year ocean surface temperature record using fossilized Galápagos corals.
- The findings indicate that El Niño events in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have been stronger than any during the past millennium.
- The long-term data helps resolve previous uncertainties caused by short instrumental records and conflicting climate models.
Key facts
- Researchers led by University of Michigan environmental scientist Julie Cole reconstructed a 1,000-year ocean surface temperature record.[Ars Technica]
- The research utilized fossilized corals from the Galápagos Islands to measure historical ocean temperature shifts.[Ars Technica]
- The study revealed that late 20th and early 21st-century El Niño events surpassed the strength of any observed in the preceding 1,000 years.[Ars Technica]
What remains uncertain
- Climate models have previously disagreed on whether global warming directly drives more severe El Niño fluctuations.[Ars Technica]