1. El Niño, La Niña & ENSO FAQ

    Find answers to questions about these atmospheric patterns, which play a key role in year-to-year weather and climate variation around the world.

    • Climate

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  2. Map of land/ocean temperatures, departures from average, Feb 2014

    Burning questions about winter cold

    There's major disagreement among scientists on exactly what might be causing a tendency toward colder winters over the last few years in places like the central and eastern United States, Europe, and Russia.

    • Climate

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  3. Decadal prediction: Map showing trends in sea surface temperature

    Progress on decadal climate prediction

    If today’s tools for multiyear climate forecasting had been available in the 1990s, they would have revealed that a slowdown in global warming was likely on the way, according to new research.

    • Climate

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  4. Sea surface temperatures during 2007–08 La Niña

    Why do La Niña events linger?

    For millions of people, El Niño or La Niña indicates whether they’re likely to face unusually warm, cold, wet, or dry conditions over the coming winter. A new modeling study pins down the process that apparently determines why La Niña events often last twice as long as typical El Niño events—a result with major implications for seasonal predictions.

    • Climate

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  5. Penguins and climate change: emperor penguins and chicks at Snow Hill Island, Antarctica, October 2009

    Emperor penguins on the decline?

    Known from their frequent film and TV appearances, the large, charismatic birds are in danger. By 2100, according to a new study, their numbers will have fallen by around 19% and will continue to decline, qualifying the species for endangered status.

    • Climate

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