Whose observations first linked El Niño to unusual Pacific Ocean warming?
Quick Answer
The phenomenon was named by fishermen, but modern scientific explanation grew from work by Gilbert Walker and later oceanographers such as Jacob Bjerknes. They connected Pacific warming with shifts in winds and weather patterns.
The Full Story
El Niño was first recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America, but its broader scientific explanation came much later. Gilbert Walker’s studies of atmospheric pressure and Jacob Bjerknes’s 20th-century work helped connect warming in the tropical Pacific with changes in winds and rainfall across the globe. This became the basis of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. It is now one of the most important patterns in climate science and marine ecology.
Key Facts
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"The Pacific warming event that can change weather around the world"