Earth  ID: 11542

El Niño Watch

Story by Matt Davenport Released on June 10, 2014
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Is the U.S. in store for the biggest El Niño since 1997?
After enduring an especially cold winter in the Northeast and years of drought in the Southwest, the United States could use a strong El Niño. An El Niño is a weather phenomenon that occurs about every three to seven years. One benefit is that it keeps the northern two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. much warmer than normal during winter, while drenching the lower third of the country with rain. However, it can also disrupt normal weather patterns, resulting in severe floods and forest fires. This year, scientists have already spotted precursors to El Niño conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean. Masses of warm water have migrated from southeast Asia toward the typically cool waters off South America in what are called Kelvin waves. If these waves persist through the summer, the country may experience the strongest El Niño since 1997. Watch the video to learn more.
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Find out how NASA’s Jason-2 satellite helps scientists track and forecast El Niño events in this video.
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The Jason-2 satellite uses radar to measure the height of the ocean surface—an indicator of how warm the water is below.
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The satellite data is wrapped on a globe, giving scientists a view of how ocean height and temperature are changing over time.
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El Niño events are characterized by a band of warm water swell (red) that stretches across the equatorial Pacific.

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Science@NASA

Story Credits

Lead Writer:
Matt Davenport (USRA)

Please give credit for this item to:
Science@NASA and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Images courtesy of NASA/JPL

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Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Earth