If Rocks Could Talk
Kim Cobb
School of Earth and
Atmospheric Sciences
• Pa
leocli
mate R
esearch • Georgia Tech •Cobb Lab
Coral1
8 O/1
6 Oratio
ElNiño(warm)
LaNiña(cool)
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
−5.5
−5
−4.5
−4
b18O
IGOSS SST*Evans99−0.15*Nurhati09+0.03*X12−6+0.09X12−3+0.03X14−1+0.06*X14−14+0.12X14−7−0.033X14−9+0.00
SST
How accurate is the coralrecord of climate?
8coralgeochemistryrecordsvssea-surfacetemperature
Analyzing El Niño events in corals spanning the last 7,000yrs, we find evidence that El Niño may be strengthening in response to greenhouse gases.
Cobb et al,Science 2013
Analyzing El Niño events in corals spanning the last 7,000yrs, we find evidence that El Niño may be strengthening in response to greenhouse gases.
Climate models now project adoubling of “very strong” El Niño-type impacts by 2100.
(Cai et al., Nature Climate Change, 2015)