Stronger El Ni?o events may speed up irreversible melting of Antarctic ice, research finds

New study shows impact of weather phenomenon could have a 'double whammy' effect, leading to worsening extreme weather and accelerating sea level riseFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastStronger El Ni?o events due to global heating may accelerate irreversible melting of the Antarctic ice sheet and ice shelves and the rise in sea levels, according to research from Australia's premier government science agency.Previous studies have found that rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to increase the magnitude of the El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (Enso), the planet's most significant year-to-year climate fluctuation and a major driver of extreme droughts and floods. Extreme warm El Ni?o events and cool La Ni?a events are expected to become more frequent as the planet heats.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...