This study uses a new annually resolved, multi-method, palaeoproxy-derived Pacific Walker Circulation (PWC) reconstruction ensemble (1200–2000) to investigate the PWC's response to external forcings. The reconstruction shows that the 1992–2011 PWC strengthening, while anomalous, is not unprecedented in the past 800 years. It finds no significant industrial-era PWC trend, contrasting with most climate model simulations. However, a shift to lower-frequency variability in the industrial era suggests a subtle anthropogenic influence. Volcanic eruptions are shown to trigger El Niño-like PWC weakening, consistent with climate model simulations.
