Although Holocene climate events are relatively minor on a glacial / interglacial perspective, the small Holocene changes in the polar vortex and
atmospheric storminess documented by O'Brien et al. (1995) would probably cause widespread disruption to human society if they were to occur in the future (Keigwin and Boyle 2000:1343).»
If it is true, as some studies suggest for example, that El Nino events become more frequent and greater in magnitude due to anthropogenic forcing (this is not yet a settled issue), then, given the established relationship between the El Nino / Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the extratropical Pacific / North American
atmospheric circulation, we might expect increased baroclinicity and greater
storminess over a substantial region of the mid-latitude North Pacific ocean and neighboring western U.S..
In addition, human - induced climate change may alter
atmospheric circulation, dislocating historical patterns of natural variability and
storminess.