A striking red-hot strip that stretches across the Pacific Ocean confirms the arrival of the “El Niño” phenomenon.
Satellite data indicates that sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are significantly higher than average, marking the end of the La Niña phase and the reemergence of El Niño.
The data, collected by NASA’s Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-3B satellites, was processed by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The map reveals that during the first 10 days of June 2023, the sea surface height in the tropical Pacific was more than 4.9 inches higher than average, indicating warmer-than-usual water due to expansion. thermal.
The presence of warmer waters in the tropical Pacific serves as a clear indicator of the resurgence of El Niño, a statement made officially by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center on June 8, 2023 .
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle describes climate fluctuations in the Pacific Ocean and their global impact. Every few years, conditions change between El Niño (the warm phase of ENSO) and La Niña (the cooling phase).
During El Niño, equatorial winds weaken and push warm water toward the west coast of the Americas. This process reduces upwelling of cold water, leading to warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.
El Niño is officially declared when temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.9°F above the long-term average.
By contrast, La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.
The ENSO cycle has profound implications for weather and climate around the world, influencing wind patterns, temperatures, the distribution of rainfall, the intensity of hurricanes, and even the distribution of marine life.
In North America, El Niño conditions typically bring increased precipitation and snowfall to southern California and the Gulf Coast, while the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Midwest experience drier-than-usual conditions.
Globally, El Niño years tend to be warmer on average. Concern lies in the possibility of El Niño conditions triggering unprecedented heat waves and pushing global average temperatures to record levels.
Keep reading:
Study: A day on Earth used to last just 19 hours
· Teenager was trapped in rough waters off Rockaway Beach, Queens, losing his life in an attempt to save himself
· CDC issues alert to increase in local infections of Malaria in Florida and Texas