Unusually Intense El Nino May Lie Ahead, Scientists Say

The odds that an El Niño event will soon take place in the tropical Pacific Ocean are increasing, and based on recent developments, some scientists think this event may be an unusually intense one, perhaps even rivaling the record El Niño event of 1997-1998. If that does happen, then 2015 would almost be guaranteed to set a record for the warmest year on Earth, depending on the timing of the El Niño conditions.

El Nino and La Nina events refer to fluctuations in air and ocean conditions in the tropical Pacific. El Niño events are characterized by warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and they add heat to the atmosphere, thereby warming global average temperatures. They typically occur once every three to seven years and can also alter weather patterns around the world, causing droughts and floods from the West Coast of the U.S. to Papua New Guinea. Read more...