The Next El Niño Could Lock Earth Into a Hotter Climate
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- James Hansen doubts the world will cool below 1.5 °C after the El Niño fades, making the warming permanent.
- Pacific Ocean stores the warmest tropical waters, spanning an area four times larger than the continental United States.
- California reservoirs already show alternating drought and flood extremes, a tangible sign of El Niño‑driven climate volatility.
- Japan receives northward heat from the Pacific warm pool as El Niño intensifies, altering regional atmospheric patterns.
- Indonesia sits on the western edge of the Pacific warm pool, where heat surges eastward during El Niño, threatening fisheries and monsoon patterns.
Why it matters: Coastal farmers in California lose up to $2 billion in crop yields as El Niño‑driven drought and flood cycles intensify, while insurers gain premium revenue but face higher claim volatility.
