  Complex network theory provides a powerful toolbox for studying the structure
of statistical interrelationships between multiple time series in various
scientific disciplines. In this work, we apply the recently proposed climate
network approach for characterizing the evolving correlation structure of the
Earth's climate system based on reanalysis data of surface air temperatures. We
provide a detailed study on the temporal variability of several global climate
network characteristics. Based on a simple conceptual view on red climate
networks (i.e., networks with a comparably low number of edges), we give a
thorough interpretation of our evolving climate network characteristics, which
allows a functional discrimination between recently recognized different types
of El Ni\~no episodes. Our analysis provides deep insights into the Earth's
climate system, particularly its global response to strong volcanic eruptions
and large-scale impacts of different phases of the El Ni\~no Southern
Oscillation (ENSO).
