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HARROW: Pacific Ocean winds may be the cause behind a global warming hiatus recorded by environmentalists since the turn of the century. The slowdown in rising temperatures could be driven by a change in circulation patterns, which began in 1999 in the world’s largest ocean.
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) alters temperatures in the northern and southern Pacific Ocean. This effect is similar to the more-familiar El Niño Southern Oscillation.
Researchers examined records dating back to 1791, which revealed that the PDO entered a cool phase just prior to the start of the global warming hiatus. This resulted in equatorial waters becoming cooler, as polar regions warmed. These effects were felt 2,300 feet beneath the surface of the water in subtropical regions, researchers report.
Extra atmospheric heat which would normally would have raised global temperatures was, instead, channeled into oceans, leading to a slowdown in rising global temperatures.
