La Nina - effect on global temperatures

[RobSutton]

Interesting story in the Guardian yesterday.

Climate sceptics such as Nigel Lawson who argue that global warming has stopped have their "heads in the sand", according to the UK's Met Office.

A recent dip in global temperatures is down to natural changes in weather systems, a new analysis shows, and does not alter the long-term warming trend.

Global warming sceptics have their 'heads in the sand' according to the UK Met Office | Environment | guardian.co.uk

[Wild-Woman]

I think we only need to look at nature itself to see that global warming is here and happening, even if there was a tiny drop in global temperatures. Animals, particularly birds and creatures whose habitat is so sensitive to change are the best climate barometers of all.

[KeenTeen17]

this is what we are studying in my a level geography. La Nina is the process where nature tries to return back to the normal walker circulation - but sometimes La Nina can make things TOO normal. For example in the walker circulation there is usually high pressure over south America. during a big La Nina event the result would be extremely high pressure over SA, resulting in droughts etc.

Scientists believed that 2006 would be a record hurricane year after the 2005 season. but 2006 was a relatively docile year for hurricanes. This could be because of an El Nino event starting that year. El Nino could be helping stop global warming.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

........ El Nino could be helping stop global warming.

Because El Nino and La Nina are cyclical events they can't stop Global Warming but will cause some of the underlying year on year fluctuations in climate we see. Some years (like this one) may be slightly cooler but that doesn't mean Global Warming has stopped - the ten year average is still on the up.

Taking into account all the natural processes affecting climate, scientists can model the climate very well but those natural processes (like El Nino and Sunspot cycles etc.) can't account for the anomalously high temperatures we are recording now. Only by putting man made effects such as increased CO2 levels into their models can they account for what we are seeing now.

[ron1863]

I don't know about global warming but up here in Scotland we have hardly had a warm day all year - wet ones by the bucket load though