Clam fossils study reveals 10,000 year history of El Niño

Posted: August 11, 2014 by oldbrew in Analysis, climate, Dataset, Ocean dynamics
Clams [credit: Wikipedia]

Clams [credit: Wikipedia]

El Niño and its twin La Niña are under the spotlight this year as climate-watchers hunt for signs of expected activity that seems to have gone largely missing in recent years if compared to, say, the 1990s.

Has the strength of these phenomena changed in modern times? Apparently not.

‘The charts created by the research team suggest that the ENSO cycle does not have a predictable cycle and also that it has not been increasing in strength over the course of the Holocene as others have suggested.’

Clam fossils offer 10,000 year history of El Niño Southern Oscillation [Phys.org]

This study seems to confirm Bob Tisdale’s earlier analysis:
El Niño-Southern Oscillation Myth 3: ENSO Has No Trend and Cannot Contribute to Long-Term Warming

However, Tallbloke himself put forward a theory some time ago that I know he’s still interested in.
When he returns from his travels he may want to comment further.

The timing of El Nino in relation to the solar cycle

Comments
  1. Chaeremon says:
    August 11, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    The earth’s “wobble” is sought-after in many fictitious, computAted, games consoles models, no wonder there is no positive correlation with ENSO … GiGo.

    The more I read about Milankovitch cycles, the more I find that a very tiny, yet accurately measured, with modern instruments, time-frame was basis which was then extrapolated by asserted (err, unfalsifiable) factors (err, parameters).

    The clam fossil record could really be taken as hard-as-stone evidence for quite different (from Milankovitch) cycles, but as it is now they “cannot” contribute to culturally induced ignorance 😦

  2. oldbrew says:
    August 11, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    Quoting Bob Tisdale re ENSO:

    ‘Why should you be interested? Sea surface temperature records indicate El Niño and La Niña events are responsible for the warming of global sea surface temperature anomalies over the past 30 years, not manmade greenhouse gases. I’ve searched sea surface temperature records for more than 4 years, and I can find no evidence of an anthropogenic greenhouse gas signal. That is, the warming of the global oceans has been caused by Mother Nature, not anthropogenic greenhouse gases.’

  3. hunter says:
    August 11, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Once again skeptics are proven correct: There are no significant changes in the El Nino/La Nina oscillations

  4. p.g.sharrow says:
    August 12, 2014 at 7:52 am

    hunter says:
    August 11, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    Once again skeptics are proven correct:

    Of course we are! True scientists are skeptical of Authority opinions and examine the facts for themselves. Educated savants regurgitate what they are taught and can not think for themselves.

    Those that can will learn. Those that can not must be taught. pg