|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
TOPEX/El Niño Watch - El Niño is Still Lingering in the Pacific May 3, 1998
Title
TOPEX/El Niño Watch - El Niño is Still Lingering in the Pacific May 3, 1998
Title
|
|
Original Caption Released with Image:
|
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea-surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on May 3, 1998, and sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The image shows that sea-surface height along the central and eastern equatorial Pacific has maintained a near normal state since March 1998. However, the western equatorial Pacific, shown here in purple, has not returned to a normal state and is still about 30 centimeters (12 inches) below normal sea level. Remnants of the El Niño warm water pool, shown in red and white, are situated to the north of the equator. Oceanographers indicate these measurements show that the Pacific has not yet fully recovered from this large El Niño event. These sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98 El Niño's warm water pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage; in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal; in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Niño weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. For more information, please visit the TOPEX/Poseidon project web page at http://topex-www.jp…
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. The image shows sea-surface height relative to normal ocean conditions on May 3, 1998, and sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The image shows that sea-surface height along the central and eastern equatorial Pacific has maintained a near normal state since March 1998. However, the western equatorial Pacific, shown here in purple, has not returned to a normal state and is still about 30 centimeters (12 inches) below normal sea level. Remnants of the El Niño warm water pool, shown in red and white, are situated to the north of the equator. Oceanographers indicate these measurements show that the Pacific has not yet fully recovered from this large El Niño event. These sea-surface height measurements have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98 El Niño's warm water pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measures the changing sea-surface height with unprecedented precision. In this image, the white and red areas indicate unusual patterns of heat storage; in the white areas, the sea surface is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal; in the red areas, it's about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The El Niño phenomenon is thought to be triggered when the steady westward blowing trade winds weaken and even reverse direction. This change in the winds allows a large mass of warm water (the red and white area) that is normally located near Australia to move eastward along the equator until it reaches the coast of South America. The displacement of so much warm water affects evaporation, where rain clouds form and, consequently, alters the typical atmospheric jet stream patterns around the world. Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has continued to issue an advisory indicating the so-called El Niño weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States and the world are expected to remain through the spring. For more information, please visit the TOPEX/Poseidon project web page at http://topex-www.jp…Original Caption Released with Image
|
|
Addition Date:
|
|
1998-07-03
Addition_Date
1998-07-03
Addition Date
|
|
Produced By:
|
|
JPL
Produced_By
JPL
Produced By
|
|
Mission:
|
|
TOPEX/Poseidon (Jason-1)
Mission
TOPEX/Poseidon (Jason-1)
Mission
|
|
Spacecraft:
|
|
TOPEX/Poseidon
Spacecraft
TOPEX/Poseidon
Spacecraft
|
|
Target Name:
|
|
Earth
Target_Name
Earth
Target Name
|
|
Is a satellite of:
|
|
Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
|
|
Instrument:
|
|
Altimeter
Instrument
Altimeter
Instrument
|
|
Product Size:
|
|
923 samples x 900 lines
Product_Size
923 samples x 900 lines
Product Size
|
|
Primary Data Set:
|
|
TOPEX/Poseidon Science and Data
Primary_Data_Set
TOPEX/Poseidon Science and Data
Primary Data Set
|
|
Producer ID:
|
|
P49847
Producer_ID
P49847
Producer ID
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
TOPEX
facet_what
TOPEX
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Jason-1
facet_what
Jason-1
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Poseidon
facet_what
Poseidon
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
TOPEX/Poseidon
facet_what
TOPEX/Poseidon
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Altimeter
facet_what
Altimeter
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Australia
facet_where
Australia
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Pacific Ocean
facet_where
Pacific Ocean
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
United States of America
facet_where
United States of America
facet_where
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
March 1998
facet_when
March 1998
facet_when
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
May 3, 1998
facet_when
May 3, 1998
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
1998
facet_when_year
1998
facet_when_year
|
|
Image #:
|
|
PIA01451
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01451
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01451
UID
|
|
orignial url:
|
orignial_url
orignial url
|
