{
    "id": 5683,
    "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5683/",
    "page_type": "Visualization",
    "title": "Signs of El Niño in 2026",
    "description": "These visualizations compare ocean conditions in the tropical Pacific during the same months in 2025 and 2026, using sea surface temperature, ocean color, and sea surface height data. Together, they highlight changes in the ocean that may signal the development of El Niño conditions.",
    "release_date": "2026-10-15T12:30:00-04:00",
    "update_date": "2026-10-15T12:32:44.203874-04:00",
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        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssta_avw_ssha_1010.02200_preview.jpg",
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        "alt_text": "Six animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean arranged in two columns and three rows compare ocean conditions in 2025 and 2026. The top row shows sea surface temperature anomalies, the middle row shows apparent visible wavelength, and the bottom row shows sea surface height anomalies. Color changes highlight differences between the two years, with labels identifying potential signals of El Niño in 2026.",
        "width": 1920,
        "height": 1080,
        "pixels": 2073600
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    "main_video": {
        "id": 1206001,
        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_ssta_avw_ssha_1010_1080p60.mp4",
        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssta_avw_ssha_1010_1080p60.mp4",
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        "alt_text": "Six animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean arranged in two columns and three rows compare ocean conditions in 2025 and 2026. The top row shows sea surface temperature anomalies, the middle row shows apparent visible wavelength, and the bottom row shows sea surface height anomalies. Color changes highlight differences between the two years, with labels identifying potential signals of El Niño in 2026.",
        "width": 1920,
        "height": 1080,
        "pixels": 2073600
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    "main_credits": {
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            {
                "name": "Kel Elkins",
                "employer": "Science and Technology Corporation"
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    "progress": "Complete",
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            "caption": "This visualization compares three ocean data products, sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA), apparent visible wavelength (AVW), and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), over the same months in 2025 and 2026. Signals of El Niño in each data product are highlighted with pop-up labels.",
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                        "alt_text": "Six animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean arranged in two columns and three rows compare ocean conditions in 2025 and 2026. The top row shows sea surface temperature anomalies, the middle row shows apparent visible wavelength, and the bottom row shows sea surface height anomalies. Color changes highlight differences between the two years, with labels identifying potential signals of El Niño in 2026.",
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                        "alt_text": "Six animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean arranged in two columns and three rows compare ocean conditions in 2025 and 2026. The top row shows sea surface temperature anomalies, the middle row shows apparent visible wavelength, and the bottom row shows sea surface height anomalies. Color changes highlight differences between the two years, with labels identifying potential signals of El Niño in 2026.",
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                        "alt_text": "Six animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean arranged in two columns and three rows compare ocean conditions in 2025 and 2026. The top row shows sea surface temperature anomalies, the middle row shows apparent visible wavelength, and the bottom row shows sea surface height anomalies. Color changes highlight differences between the two years, with labels identifying potential signals of El Niño in 2026.",
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            "description": "NASA's Earth-observing satellites are monitoring changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean that could signal the development of a strong El Niño event in 2026.\r\n\r\nThese visualizations compare ocean conditions during the same months in 2025 and 2026 using data from missions including Sentinel-6 and PACE. Three ocean data products are shown: sea surface temperature anomaly, apparent visible wavelength (ocean color), and sea surface height anomaly. Together, these datasets show unusually warm surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, higher-than-usual sea surface heights, and changes in ocean color associated with reduced phytoplankton. These changes can all be signals of developing El Niño conditions.",
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            "title": "",
            "caption": "This visualization compares sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the same months in 2025 and 2026. Red and orange indicate areas where ocean surface temperatures are warmer than usual, while blue indicates areas where they are cooler than usual. Warmer ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific can be a signal of developing El Niño conditions.",
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                        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssta_cb_1010_1080p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface temperature anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Shades of red and orange represent warmer-than-usual water, while blue represents cooler-than-usual water. A prominent band of unusually warm water develops across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with cooler conditions in 2025.",
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                        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssta_cb_1010_2160p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface temperature anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Shades of red and orange represent warmer-than-usual water, while blue represents cooler-than-usual water. A prominent band of unusually warm water develops across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with cooler conditions in 2025.",
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                {
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                        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_ssta_cb_1010.02200_preview.jpg",
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                        "media_type": "Image",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface temperature anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Shades of red and orange represent warmer-than-usual water, while blue represents cooler-than-usual water. A prominent band of unusually warm water develops across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with cooler conditions in 2025.",
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                        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_ssta_cb_1010.02200.jpg",
                        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssta_cb_1010.02200.jpg",
                        "media_type": "Image",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface temperature anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Shades of red and orange represent warmer-than-usual water, while blue represents cooler-than-usual water. A prominent band of unusually warm water develops across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with cooler conditions in 2025.",
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        {
            "id": 381031,
            "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5683/#media_group_381031",
            "widget": "Video player",
            "title": "",
            "caption": "This visualization compares apparent visible wavelength (AVW) over the same months in 2025 and 2026. Bluer ocean colors generally indicate areas with less phytoplankton, while greener and yellower colors suggest higher concentrations. Reduced phytoplankton in the tropical Pacific can be associated with developing El Niño conditions.",
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                    "instance": {
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                        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_avw_cb_1010_1080p60.mp4",
                        "filename": "elnino_2026_avw_cb_1010_1080p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare ocean color in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Deep blue indicates areas with lower apparent visible wavelengths, while green and yellow indicate higher wavelengths. A band of darker blue water stretches across the tropical Pacific in 2026, indicating reduced phytoplankton compared with 2025.",
                        "width": 1920,
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                        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_avw_cb_1010_2160p60.mp4",
                        "filename": "elnino_2026_avw_cb_1010_2160p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare ocean color in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Deep blue indicates areas with lower apparent visible wavelengths, while green and yellow indicate higher wavelengths. A band of darker blue water stretches across the tropical Pacific in 2026, indicating reduced phytoplankton compared with 2025.",
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                        "media_type": "Image",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare ocean color in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Deep blue indicates areas with lower apparent visible wavelengths, while green and yellow indicate higher wavelengths. A band of darker blue water stretches across the tropical Pacific in 2026, indicating reduced phytoplankton compared with 2025.",
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                        "filename": "elnino_2026_avw_cb_1010.02200.jpg",
                        "media_type": "Image",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare ocean color in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Deep blue indicates areas with lower apparent visible wavelengths, while green and yellow indicate higher wavelengths. A band of darker blue water stretches across the tropical Pacific in 2026, indicating reduced phytoplankton compared with 2025.",
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            "id": 381033,
            "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5683/#media_group_381033",
            "widget": "Video player",
            "title": "",
            "caption": "This visualization compares sea surface height anomalies (SSHA) over the same months in 2025 and 2026. Red and orange indicate areas where the ocean surface is higher than usual, while blue indicates areas where it is lower than usual. Higher sea surface heights in the eastern tropical Pacific can be a signal of developing El Niño conditions.",
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            "items": [
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                    "id": 525681,
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                        "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005600/a005683/elnino_2026_ssha_cb_1003_1080p60.mp4",
                        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssha_cb_1003_1080p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface height anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Red and orange indicate higher-than-usual ocean surface heights, while blue indicates lower-than-usual heights. A prominent band of elevated sea surface height stretches across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with the lower heights visible in 2025.",
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                        "filename": "elnino_2026_ssha_cb_1003_2160p60.mp4",
                        "media_type": "Movie",
                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface height anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Red and orange indicate higher-than-usual ocean surface heights, while blue indicates lower-than-usual heights. A prominent band of elevated sea surface height stretches across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with the lower heights visible in 2025.",
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                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface height anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Red and orange indicate higher-than-usual ocean surface heights, while blue indicates lower-than-usual heights. A prominent band of elevated sea surface height stretches across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with the lower heights visible in 2025.",
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                        "alt_text": "Two animated maps of the tropical Pacific Ocean compare sea surface height anomalies in 2025 and 2026, with 2026 above 2025. Red and orange indicate higher-than-usual ocean surface heights, while blue indicates lower-than-usual heights. A prominent band of elevated sea surface height stretches across the central and eastern tropical Pacific in 2026, contrasting with the lower heights visible in 2025.",
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        {
            "id": 5663,
            "url": "http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5663/",
            "page_type": "Visualization",
            "title": "Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA) - Updated weekly",
            "description": "A series of Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA) visualizations in several projections, automatically updated each week.",
            "release_date": "2026-08-05T10:00:00-04:00",
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                "alt_text": "Animated equirectangular world map of sea surface height anomaly over the past two and a half years. Ocean areas range from dark blue for lower anomalies to white for higher anomalies; land is medium gray, sea ice is light gray, and date labels are included.",
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