El Nino, which means the water temperature increases near the equator, causes unexpected heavy rain and drought, due to the warming tide that can weaken the trade winds. Studies have shown that this phenomenon affects the carbon cycle that helps maintain the Earth’s ecosystem However, recently, it has been revealed that human-generated greenhouse gases have led to more interaction. In particular, it has been suggested that this amplified El Nino could significantly reduce the Amazon’s ability to absorb carbon.
Professor Kug Jong-seong (SEE), Kim Jin-soo (SEE, Ph.D Candidate), and Jeong Su-jong, professor of Southern University of Science and Technology of China, have announced that El Nino is more closely linked to carbon cycles due to global warming. The most noticeable fact is that El Nino is related to socio-economic problems such as soaring grain prices and the civil war in Africa. El Nino’s involvement in the carbon cycle was acknowledged before, but it is the first time that global warming will make it more relevant. This study can be used to estimate crop yields based on El Nino or La Nina periods, assuming future climate changes, and will also contribute to future studies on the link between carbon and climate change. The research results were published in Nature Communications.