Sea-surface temperatures are rising except in the one place models predict they should rise the most: the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2026, Shang-Ping Xie reconciles climate models and observations in his Inaugural Article, showing that warming is so far masked by internal variation. The climate scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography has examined the interactions of currents and wind throughout his career, often in service to improving prediction. Previously he showed that the Indian Ocean acts like a capacitor, driving flooding in the Yangtze River as it discharges stored warmth from El Niño.
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