The Next El Niño Could Lock Earth Into a Hotter Climate

The Pacific heat pulse is temporary, but scientists warn that its climate impacts are not.

The study concluded that “super El Niños” are not just passing weather events, but more like climate shocks that can push parts of the Earth system into new states,

There are only three super El Niños on record: in 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16.

This study is open access and was published on December 12, 2025