Pacific sea levels to fluctuate more intensely as climate change worsens El Niño

Sea level fluctuations are going to become more intense and frequent in the Pacific region owing to worsening El Niño phenomenon caused by climate change, a new study has revealed.

During El Niño, warm water and high sea levels shift eastward, leaving in their wake low sea levels in the western Pacific. Scientists have already shown that this east-west seesaw is often followed six months to a year later by a similar north-south sea level seesaw with water levels dropping by up to one foot (30 cm) in the Southern Hemisphere. Such sea level drops expose shallow marine ecosystems in South Pacific Islands, causing massive coral die-offs with a foul smelling tide called taimasa (pronounced [kai’ ma’sa]) by Samoans.

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Source: Dispatch Tribunal