Unprecedented warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies were observed off the west coast of Australia in February-March 2011. Peak SST during a 2-week period were 5°C warmer than normal, causing widespread coral bleaching and fish kills. Understanding the climatic drivers of this extreme event, which we dub "Ningaloo Niño", is crucial for predicting similar events under the influence of global warming. Here we use observational data and numerical models to demonstrate that the extreme warming was mostly driven by an unseasonable surge of the poleward-flowing Leeuwin Current in austral summer, which transported anomalously warm water southward along the coast. The unusual intensification of the Leeuwin Current was forced remotely by oceanic and atmospheric teleconnections associated with the extraordinary 2010-2011 La Niña. The amplitude of the warming was boosted by both multi-decadal trends in the Pacific toward more La Niña-like conditions and intraseasonal variations in the Indian Ocean.
A University of Queensland scientist is calling for volunteer divers to photograph the underside of manta rays in waters off the Western Australian coastline and upload them to Facebook as part of a research project.
A University of Queensland scientist is calling for volunteer divers to photograph the underside of manta rays in waters off the Western Australian coastline and upload them to Facebook as part of a research project.
The potential to better observe the weather and climate over the Indian Ocean has received a major boost with the arrival this week of EUMETSAT's Meteosat-8 satellite in its new position of 41.5°E.
The potential to better observe the weather and climate over the Indian Ocean has received a major boost with the arrival this week of EUMETSAT's Meteosat-8 satellite in its new position of 41.5°E.
University of Hawaii at Manoa's Philip THOMPSON of the Sea Level Center examined 25 years of interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean surface.
University of Hawaii at Manoa's Philip THOMPSON of the Sea Level Center examined 25 years of interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean surface.
Commercial ships passing through the Malacca and Singapore straits have been warned to be alert for possible theft by local people and pirates while ...
Commercial ships passing through the Malacca and Singapore straits have been warned to be alert for possible theft by local people and pirates while ...
In a world where fish biodiversity is on the decline, highly vulnerable species are given a major boost today after scientists identified why some species are absent from reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Incorporating this knowledge into conservation strategies will help to reduce human impact on species loss.
In a world where fish biodiversity is on the decline, highly vulnerable species are given a major boost today after scientists identified why some species are absent from reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Incorporating this knowledge into conservation strategies will help to reduce human impact on species loss.