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NASA has a unique three-dimensional view of the 2015 El Nino,

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a combination of ocean measurements

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and cutting-edge supercomputer simulations.

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An El Nino occurs when the equatorial Pacific Ocean

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is warmer than normal

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shown here in red.

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Focused on the top 225 meters of the ocean,

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the vertical height is exaggerated in this view

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to better show the distribution of temperature changes.

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The 2015 El Nino peaked in December,

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and by April of 2016 the ocean

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had transitioned back to normal temperatures.

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Changing winds drive an El Nino event,

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pushing warm waters from Indonesia

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over to the Americas.  

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The yellow arrows show strong eastward currents,

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which are dominant during an El Nino.

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The white arrows show the west-flowing currents,

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which return as El Nino fades away.

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This dataset has helped scientists at NASA

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improve forecasts of future El Nino events

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and their global impacts.

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[ beeping ]