Content overview: “Net zero sooner could curb centuries-long El Niño shift in the Pacific, study finds”. New climate modeling suggests that reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions sooner could limit a long-lasting shift in the tropical Pacific toward a more El Niño-like state, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change. The research, led by scientists at the University of Exeter, found that even if global temperatures are stabilized at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, changes to the Pacific Ocean—including warmer eastern waters and weakened trade winds—could persist for centuries due to heat already stored deep in the ocean.
These shifts could intensify extreme weather patterns, such as droughts in the western Pacific and floods in the Americas. The findings underscore the urgency of cutting emissions rapidly, as the pace of reaching net zero directly influences how long these Pacific changes last and how severe their impacts become. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.