PIA00837: TOPEX/El Niño Watch - El Niño Warm Water Pool Returns to Near Normal State, Mar, 14, 1998

Target Name: Earth Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun) Mission: TOPEX/Poseidon (Jason-1) Spacecraft: TOPEX/Poseidon Instrument: Altimeter Product Size: 2550 samples x 2545 lines Produced By: JPL Producer ID: P49667 MRPS87644 Addition Date: 1998-04-02 Primary Data Set: TOPEX/Poseidon Science and Data Full-Res TIFF: PIA00837.tif (5.839 MB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA00837.jpg (585.3 kB)

Original Caption Released with Image: This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on Mar. 14, 1998 and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The image shows that the sea surface height along the central equatorial Pacific has returned to a near normal state. Oceanographers indicate this is a classic pattern, typical of a mature El Niño condition. Remnants of the El Niño warm water pool, shown in red and white, are situated to the north and south of the equator. These sea surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98 El Niño's warm pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage; in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal; in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Niño weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. For more information, please visit the TOPEX/Poseidon project web page at http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov Image Credit: NASA/JPL