9 November 2023
By Daeun Lee
Due to a severe drought, the Amazon River recently hit its lowest water level in a century, revealing submerged ancient rock formations. Australia is grappling with ongoing wildfires caused by prolonged dry weather. This situation is attributed to the impact of El Nino, resulting from warmer sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Over the past three years, the Pacific has been dominated by La Nina, accumulating heat. However, Elnino's development this year has shown an unexpected slowdown. To develop, Elnino requires strong westerly winds in the equatorial Pacific, which have been weaker this year. Rising sea surface temperatures in the North Pacific and North Atlantic further hinder El Nino's progress.
Although global ocean temperatures have escalated, concerns about their climate impact remain. Despite the slowdown, El Nino is still expected to bring warm southerly winds to the Korean Peninsula, possibly causing increased fine dust levels during the upcoming winter due to stagnant conditions in South Korea.
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