Study: global warming disrupts Pacific Walker link with Indian Ocean
A new study says global warming is messing with the long-standing link between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
For centuries, a wind pattern called the Pacific Walker circulation has helped these oceans "talk" to each other, but since the 1950s, the tropical Indian Ocean has warmed by about 0.1 degrees Celsius each decade, while the Pacific Walker circulation has strengthened since the 1980s.
Researchers reconstruct 360 year ocean record
Researchers pieced together 360 years of ocean history using data from coral, tree rings, and climate models.
They found a similar disruption back in the early 1800s after huge volcanic eruptions cooled things down.
Today's changes are driven by us, not nature.
Scientists warn that breaking this ocean connection could make it harder to predict climate conditions and rainfall.