La Nina Watch
Explanation:
Goodbye
El Niño. Hello
La Niña? Scientists are watching to see
if an evolving pool of relatively cool water in
the mid-Pacific Ocean will develop into a full "La Niña".
Over the past several months,
the water temperature in the Equatorial
Pacific Ocean has been doing a flip-flop.
From being slightly warmer than normal in the winter,
a condition called
El Niño,
much of this water is now slightly colder than normal,
a condition that
might develop into a La Niña -
with
global weather consequences.
Pictured above is a false-color
satellite image showing relative temperature
in Equatorial Pacific taken earlier this month.
The blue color indicates relatively cool water.
Since little has changed since last month, it is
possible that the situation has stabilized.
The last two
La Nina years were 1988 and 1995.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
