Researchers from the Nicholas School of the Environment found that variability in ocean salt content affects El Niño intensity.
Researchers from the Nicholas School of the Environment found that variability in ocean salt content affects El Niño intensity.
Duke researchers found that ocean saltiness can influence the strength of El Niño, a climate phenomenon that can dramatically affect global weather. The results could inform development of more precise El Niño forecasts.
El Niño occurs every two to seven years, marked by wetter conditions in some parts of the world and drier weather in others. Existing research has overlooked the potential role of ocean salinity, or saltiness, in shaping El Niño events. Ocean salt is not uniform — some areas are saltier, some fresher, depending on rainfall, evaporation and other factors.
Variability in saltiness could potentially “influence ocean currents and thus climate phenomena like El Niño,” explains Shineng Hu, assistant professor of climate dynamics at the Nicholas School of the Environment, who oversaw the study.
Read More: Duke University
Photo Credit: AJS1 via Pixabay
