No end to the Big Dry
By Laurie Nowell A NEW El Nino effect is developing in the Pacific Ocean, threatening to extend Australia’s crippling drought and bring destructive weather along the east coast. A new analysis of the El Nino effect suggests they are occurring more frequently – offering further evidence of global warming. And, in a double whammy for Australia, scientists have identified a new phenomenon, the Indian Ocean Dipole, which could also bring drier conditions to Australia. … “We have had 18 El Nino’s since 1940 — that’s one every 3.8 years on average,” he said. “We’ve had seven since 1987 – that’s one every 3.1 years. But with this one coming that will bring it down to one every 2.75 years. “By 2020 we may have experienced four more El Ninos. ‘These climate trends are disturbing. They point to the possible conclusion that our weather patterns have changed irreversibly.” …
