The phenomenon comes as much of the Atlantic has recorded record temperatures in the first seven months of 2024.
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A cold drop in the ocean? The equatorial zone of the Atlantic, located along the African coast, is cooling, as explained in an article published in the Climate.gov section of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Wednesday, August 14. “The Atlantic is cooling at record speed and no one knows why”the magazine further summarizes New ScientistMonday.
“Since the beginning of June, the sea surface temperature in the central equatorial Atlantic has been 0.5 to 1.0°C below average for this time of yearexplains Franz Philip Tuchen, a researcher at NOAA. If these cold conditions persist until the end of August, a phenomenon known as “La Niña Atlantica” could occur.”
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This phenomenon comes as the Atlantic has been overheating since the beginning of the year: temperature records were recorded over a large part of the ocean between January and July 2024, as NOAA points out. Between March 2023 and June 2024, the northern part suffered an unprecedented marine heat wave, fueled by global warming caused by human action.
The natural phenomenon El Niño in the Pacific, which has accentuated the rise in temperatures boosted by global warming, must give way to La Niña, which has the opposite effect of lowering air and water temperatures. On the Atlantic side, what is surprising is the speed at which the transition between the two phenomena has taken place. “Never before has the eastern equatorial Atlantic shifted so quickly from one extreme event to another”continues Franz Philip Tuchen.
This temperature difference can have an impact on episodes of rain or drought. “Decreased rainfall in the Sahel region, increased rainfall in the Gulf of Guinea, and seasonal shifts in the rainy season in northeastern South America have all been attributed to the Atlantic Niño and Niña phenomena.”lists the researcher, who hears “keep an eye on upcoming events”.