Scientists have identified a tipping point that has amplified El Niño’s effect on sea ice loss in the Arctic.
For years, researchers have known of a feedback loop linking the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and sea ice coverage at high latitudes. But in a new study, researchers found that since around the year 2000, faster transitions between phases of ENSO have a stronger influence on ice loss northeast of Russia. These changes lead to warmer, wetter weather in the region and less sea ice coverage during the fall following the transition.
