2 weeks Ago By ANISH CHAND
SCIENTISTS have released the picture of a coral in Fiji waters which they claim dates back to 1397. They recently published their findings in Science Advance magazine. “Giant boulder corals can hold centuries-old stories within their growth histories or the chemical composition of their skeletons,” the researchers claim.
“For instance, the coral indicates there was a notable warm period between 1370 and 1553, when the sea around Fiji was almost as hot as it is today. “This emphasises how the Pacific climate system varies naturally.” However, the researchers say combining coral with other paleoceanographic records from across the Pacific, can produce the bigger picture.
“When we do this, we find the Pacific-wide warming over the past century, largely attributed to human-caused global warming, marks a significant departure from the natural variability recorded in earlier centuries.” The scientists said while some parts of the Pacific were once warmer and others had a cooler decade or two, and vice versa, that relationship is breaking down. “Warming has become increasingly synchronised across the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean.
“This in turn means big shifts in rainfall and drought and flood cycles, since rain is often generated by water vapour being evaporated over warmer seas.” However, the scientists say this warming, characterised by a relatively small difference in ocean temperatures across the Pacific, is not typical of the past six centuries. “Our own work shows the ocean around Fiji is the hottest it has been in at least the past 653 years.
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