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Use the pull down menu below to go to any of the El Niño/La Niña Watch pages.
Watching for the Next El Niño
August 13, 2002
This TOPEX/Poseidon image of sea-surface heights was taken during a 10-day
collection cycle ending August 7, 2002. Sea-surface heights are a measure of how
much heat is stored in the ocean below to influence future planetary climate
events. Since May 2001, there have been a series of warm Kelvin
waves--eastward-moving ocean waves that cross the equatorial Pacific in about
two months. A sizable one arrived at the South American coast last February,
raising the ocean temperature by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and
triggering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's forecast for a
mild El Niño in 2002. There was another wave in June, followed by the current
large pool of warm water in the tropical Pacific that is now moving toward the
coast of South America at a speed of 215 kilometers (134 miles) a day and will
arrive there in three to four weeks, raising ocean temperatures.
Scientists will continue to monitor the Pacific closely for further signs of El Niño
formation and intensity.
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