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ENSO Observations: Latest winds and ocean temperatures from the tropical Pacific 
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 Data & photo courtesy PMEL |
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ENSO Simulation: GFDL Global Climate Model Results from a comprehensive ocean/atmosphere/land/ice model running at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey. The image at right shows upper-ocean temperature anomalies at the peak of an El Niño event, with red indicating 1°C or more above normal, blue 1°C or more below normal. The animation shows how the simulated temperatures evolve slowly from cold to warm, and then back to cold, over the course of 5 years. Oceanic changes associated with El Niño affect ocean ecosystems and global weather patterns, with far-reaching impacts on fisheries, agriculture, and natural disasters (worldwide losses resulting from the 1997-98 El Niño are estimated at $32-$96 billion). Accurate predictions of these events could potentially reduce these costs to society. Click here for more on climate forecasting at GFDL. |
Quicktime Animation (5.5 Mb) |