A recent study from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has identified the El Niño-Southern Oscillation as the primary cause of the significant rise in global surface temperatures in 2023, rather than human-induced climate change.
El Niño, characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, has profound effects on global weather patterns. The study highlights that the rapid increase in global temperatures last year raised concerns and speculations about its origins.
Lead author Shiv Priyam Raghuraman emphasized the urgency of understanding this phenomenon, revealing that simulations without human influence still showed spikes in global warming. Their analysis indicated a 10% chance of sudden temperature increases linked to El Niño following prolonged La Niña events, similar to what occurred between 2022 and 2023.
The findings suggest that the extreme heat experienced globally, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, was largely driven by El Niño, contributing to one of the hottest years on record.