Climate change changing ENSO

NASA continues to study the relationship between changing global temperatures and their impact on global weather patterns. New studies this year used decades’ worth of comprehensive, independent satellite observations along with monthly average climate anomalies of temperature and radiative flux data in an attempt to determine how the hydrological cycle could respond to different climate scenarios. The research showed that warming climates lead to a regional intensification of the tropical hydrological cycle during El Niño Southern Oscillation events: meaning that future El Niño events will likely be much more intense.

Data Sources: Gridded mean anomalies for 2000-2015 of various climate variables: temperature anomalies from GISS Surface Temperature Analysis, top-of-atmosphere and surface radiative flux data from CERES EBAF, MODIS and AIRS, QuickSCAT and MERRA-2

ENSO-1.png
Stephens, Graeme et al. (2018). Geophysical Research Letters, 45, 4361–4370. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077598

Publications

Stephens, Graeme et al. (2018). Geophysical Research Letters, 45, 4361–4370. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077598

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James Webb Space Telescope

The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

Perseverance Rover

Parker Solar Probe

Juno