As temperatures become increasingly erratic across the globe, one name keeps coming back to weather experts: El Niño. But then, what is it, and why does it cause such concern among scientists?
El Niñothis climatic phenomenon, has its source thousands of kilometers from our coasts. Although it regularly makes the headlines in specialized newspapers and weather sites, it is not a recent discovery linked to climate change. It’s a natural anomaly which occurs in theTropical Pacific Ocean. However, each time it is announced, the scientific community is on alert. Why such concern?
Weather update
To understand El Niñoyou have to dive into the waters ofTropical Pacific Ocean. Normally, winds trade winds blowEast in Westpushing the warm surface waters towards theAsia and theAustralia. This movement allows the cold water at depth to rise towards the coasts ofSouth America. It is the natural balance of our planet.
However, approximately every two yearsthis mechanism goes wrong. THE trade winds become less strong, sometimes to the point of being reversed. This disturbance causes a warming of the waters. It is El Niño“ the Child Jesus » in Spanish. This phenomenon was named in reference to “ Christmas El Niño ” (literally ” The Christmas Child “) because it occurs around Christmas. There is also a phase opposite to El Niño : La Nina. This phase logically causes a cooling of the water.
The domino effect on the global climate
The problem is that El Niño is not a simple increase in water temperature. It is a climatic phenomenon with global repercussions. La Nina also brings its share of changes.
Concerning El Niñoit happens, for example, that wetter conditions are recorded on the west coast of South Americathere Horn of Africa or in the southern United States. Conversely, drier conditions hit the globe,Oceania to theAustraliaas well as on the basin ofAmazon. Even if theEurope is geographically protected by distance, El Niño can sometimes extend beyond Equatorial and Pacific zones. It therefore happens that the phenomenon influences our winters, making seasonal forecasts much more uncertain.
An addition to global warming
If climatologists fear this phenomenon so much today, it is because it occurs in a context of unprecedented climate crisis. El Niño naturally tends to increase the global average temperature byapproximately 0.2°C. At a time when the planet has already won 1.2°C since the 19th century due to human activities, this increase, even temporary, is worrying.
What should you plan for?
This year, we could expect a “ Super El Niño “. This name describes a phase ofEl Niño particularly intense, which would record more than 2°C compared to the normal temperature of tropical Pacific waters.
For scientists, El Niño gives us a brutal taste of what the climate could look like in a few years if we do not change the way we consume and live. Ultimately, the answer to the question “ why is this phenomenon so worrying? » is simple. It is in fact one of the most influential climatic variations on the planet, capable of shaking up global temperature averages.
