Smoke from Australia’s worst wildfires in decades may have contributed to the rare triple La Niña weather event that impacted continents thousands of miles away, according to new research. Their research suggests smoke emissions led to the formation of clouds over the southeastern Pacific Ocean, which absorbed radiation from the sun and cooled surface water temperatures. How did wildfire emissions set off La Niña? Scientists have previously established that large volcanic eruptions in the Southern Hemisphere can shift the odds toward the formation of La Niña. Although the emissions from the fires lingered in the atmosphere for several months, it triggered an even longer feedback loop that created successive La Niña weather patterns for years.

Source: CNN May 12, 2023 01:58 UTC