Media

HKU geographer led tree-ring study finds El Niño amplitude increases with global warming More extreme weather conditions ahead warned

22 Aug 2013

An international research team, led by Dr. Jinbao Li of the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Social Sciences, finds that recent El Niño behavior is at the highest activity for the past 700 years, possibly a response to ongoing global warming.

By analyzing more than 2000 tree-ring records from Asia, New Zealand, North and South America, Dr. Li and team members developed a 700-year El Niño record of unprecedented accuracy. Current climate models disagree on the El Niño response to global warming, the findings hence provide evidence for a strong positive correlation of increasing El Niño activities with global warming. The result will serve as major references for improving climate models for forecasting of El Niño behavior in future.

Over the years, El Niño has dramatic influence on weather and climate in the Pearl River Delta region including Hong Kong. During El Niño, rainfall tends to increase in Hong Kong, and the number of tropical cyclones affecting HK tends to decrease.  Dr. Li’s research team anticipates that if this trend of El Niño activity continues, more extreme weather events such as floods and droughts will probably occur around the globe.

The research has been published online in prestigious international journal Nature Climate Change. Dr Li will hold a media briefing to explain the findings on August 27, 2013 (next Tuesday). Details are as follows:

Time       Activity                  Venue
15:00     Photo session      Grove Café, LG/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
15:20     Press briefing       Room CPD 3.07, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Map : http://www.cpao.hku.hk/media/CC_map.jpg

For media enquiries, please contact Communications and Public Affairs Office:
Assistant Director (Media) Ms Trinni Choy, tel: 2859 2606 email: pychoy@hku.hk, or
Manager (Media) Ms Rhea Leung, tel: 2857 8555 / 9022 7446 email: rhea.leung@hku.hk