WEBVTT FILE

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.680


2
00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:05.350
NASA has a unique three-dimensional view of the 2015 El Nino,

3
00:00:05.370 --> 00:00:07.000
a combination of ocean measurements

4
00:00:07.020 --> 00:00:10.240
and cutting-edge supercomputer simulations.

5
00:00:10.260 --> 00:00:12.980
An El Nino occurs when the equatorial Pacific Ocean

6
00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:14.730
is warmer than normal

7
00:00:14.750 --> 00:00:16.420
shown here in red.

8
00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.680
Focused on the top 225 meters of the ocean,

9
00:00:19.700 --> 00:00:22.280
the vertical height is exaggerated in this view

10
00:00:22.300 --> 00:00:26.180
to better show the distribution of temperature changes.

11
00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:28.770
The 2015 El Nino peaked in December,

12
00:00:28.790 --> 00:00:30.980
and by April of 2016 the ocean

13
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:36.230
had transitioned back to normal temperatures.

14
00:00:36.250 --> 00:00:38.480
Changing winds drive an El Nino event,

15
00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:40.530
pushing warm waters from Indonesia

16
00:00:40.550 --> 00:00:42.780
over to the Americas.

17
00:00:42.800 --> 00:00:45.520
The yellow arrows show strong eastward currents,

18
00:00:45.540 --> 00:00:48.120
which are dominant during an El Nino.

19
00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:50.480
The white arrows show the west-flowing currents,

20
00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:57.670
which return as El Nino fades away.

21
00:00:57.690 --> 00:01:00.130
This dataset has helped scientists at NASA

22
00:01:00.150 --> 00:01:02.580
improve forecasts of future El Nino events

23
00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:07.080
and their global impacts.

24
00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:12.480


25
00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:19.810
[ beeping ]