Variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation Through a Glacial-Interglacial Cycle

Alexander W Tudhope; Colin P Chilcott; Malcolm T McCulloch; Edward R Cook; John Chappell; Robert M Ellam; David W Lea; Janice M Lough; Graham B Shimmield

doi:10.1126/science.1057969

Variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation Through a Glacial-Interglacial Cycle

Alexander W Tudhope, Colin P Chilcott, Malcolm T McCulloch, Edward R Cook, John Chappell, Robert M Ellam, David W Lea, Janice M Lough, Graham B Shimmield

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Abstract

The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most potent source of interannual climate variability. Uncertainty surrounding the impact of greenhouse warming on ENSO strength and frequency has stimulated efforts to develop a better understanding of the sensitivity of ENSO to climate change, Here we use annually banded corals from Papua New Guinea to show that ENSO has existed for the past 130,000 years, operating even during "glacial" times of substantially reduced regional and global temperature and changed solar forcing. However, we also find that during the 20th century ENSO has been strong compared with ENSO of previous cool (glacial) and warm (interglacial) times. The observed pattern of change in amplitude may be due to the combined effects of ENSO dampening during cool glacial conditions and ENSO forcing by precessional orbital variations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1511-1517
Number of pages	7
Journal	Science
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1057969
Publication status	Published - 2001

Keywords

NORTH PACIFIC
CLIMATE-CHANGE
LEVEL CHANGES
SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES
PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA
CORAL-SKELETONS
HUON-PENINSULA
PENULTIMATE DEGLACIATION
Multidisciplinary Sciences
TROPICAL PACIFIC
OXYGEN-ISOTOPE RECORDS

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title = "Variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation Through a Glacial-Interglacial Cycle",

abstract = "The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most potent source of interannual climate variability. Uncertainty surrounding the impact of greenhouse warming on ENSO strength and frequency has stimulated efforts to develop a better understanding of the sensitivity of ENSO to climate change, Here we use annually banded corals from Papua New Guinea to show that ENSO has existed for the past 130,000 years, operating even during {"}glacial{"} times of substantially reduced regional and global temperature and changed solar forcing. However, we also find that during the 20th century ENSO has been strong compared with ENSO of previous cool (glacial) and warm (interglacial) times. The observed pattern of change in amplitude may be due to the combined effects of ENSO dampening during cool glacial conditions and ENSO forcing by precessional orbital variations.",

keywords = " NORTH PACIFIC, CLIMATE-CHANGE, LEVEL CHANGES, SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES, PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA, CORAL-SKELETONS, HUON-PENINSULA, PENULTIMATE DEGLACIATION, Multidisciplinary Sciences, TROPICAL PACIFIC, OXYGEN-ISOTOPE RECORDS",

author = "Tudhope, {Alexander W} and Chilcott, {Colin P} and McCulloch, {Malcolm T} and Cook, {Edward R} and John Chappell and Ellam, {Robert M} and Lea, {David W} and Lough, {Janice M} and Shimmield, {Graham B}",

note = "Description El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), climate change, greenhouse warming ",

year = "2001",

doi = "10.1126/science.1057969",

language = "English",

pages = "1511--1517",

journal = "Science",

issn = "1095-9203",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "1",

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T1 - Variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation Through a Glacial-Interglacial Cycle

AU - Tudhope, Alexander W

AU - Chilcott, Colin P

AU - McCulloch, Malcolm T

AU - Cook, Edward R

AU - Chappell, John

AU - Ellam, Robert M

AU - Lea, David W

AU - Lough, Janice M

AU - Shimmield, Graham B

N1 - Description El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), climate change, greenhouse warming

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most potent source of interannual climate variability. Uncertainty surrounding the impact of greenhouse warming on ENSO strength and frequency has stimulated efforts to develop a better understanding of the sensitivity of ENSO to climate change, Here we use annually banded corals from Papua New Guinea to show that ENSO has existed for the past 130,000 years, operating even during "glacial" times of substantially reduced regional and global temperature and changed solar forcing. However, we also find that during the 20th century ENSO has been strong compared with ENSO of previous cool (glacial) and warm (interglacial) times. The observed pattern of change in amplitude may be due to the combined effects of ENSO dampening during cool glacial conditions and ENSO forcing by precessional orbital variations.

AB - The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most potent source of interannual climate variability. Uncertainty surrounding the impact of greenhouse warming on ENSO strength and frequency has stimulated efforts to develop a better understanding of the sensitivity of ENSO to climate change, Here we use annually banded corals from Papua New Guinea to show that ENSO has existed for the past 130,000 years, operating even during "glacial" times of substantially reduced regional and global temperature and changed solar forcing. However, we also find that during the 20th century ENSO has been strong compared with ENSO of previous cool (glacial) and warm (interglacial) times. The observed pattern of change in amplitude may be due to the combined effects of ENSO dampening during cool glacial conditions and ENSO forcing by precessional orbital variations.

KW - NORTH PACIFIC

KW - CLIMATE-CHANGE

KW - LEVEL CHANGES

KW - SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES

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KW - CORAL-SKELETONS

KW - HUON-PENINSULA

KW - PENULTIMATE DEGLACIATION

KW - Multidisciplinary Sciences

KW - TROPICAL PACIFIC

KW - OXYGEN-ISOTOPE RECORDS

U2 - 10.1126/science.1057969

DO - 10.1126/science.1057969

M3 - Article

SN - 1095-9203

SP - 1511

EP - 1517

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 1

ER -

Variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation Through a Glacial-Interglacial Cycle

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Keywords

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