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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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TOPEX/El Niño Watch - El Niño Warm Water Pool Decreasing, Jan, 08, 1998
Title
TOPEX/El Niño Watch - El Niño Warm Water Pool Decreasing, Jan, 08, 1998
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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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 Jan. 8, 1998, and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The volume of the warm water pool related to the El Niño has decreased by about 40 percent since its maximum in early November, but the area of the warm water pool is still about one and a half times the size of the continental United States. The volume measurements are computed as the sum of all the sea surface height changes as compared to normal ocean conditions. In addition, the maximum water temperature in the eastern tropical Pacific, as measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is still higher than normal. Until these high temperatures diminish, the El Niño warm water pool still has great potential to disrupt global weather because the high water temperatures directly influence the atmosphere. Oceanographers believe the recent decrease in the size of the warm water pool is a normal part of El Niño's natural rhythm. TOPEX/Poseidon has been tracking these fluctuations of the El Niño warm pool since it began in early 1997. These sea surface height measurements have provided scientists with their first detailed view of how El Niño's warm 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, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. 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 these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. 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 Jan. 8, 1998, and sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean. The volume of the warm water pool related to the El Niño has decreased by about 40 percent since its maximum in early November, but the area of the warm water pool is still about one and a half times the size of the continental United States. The volume measurements are computed as the sum of all the sea surface height changes as compared to normal ocean conditions. In addition, the maximum water temperature in the eastern tropical Pacific, as measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is still higher than normal. Until these high temperatures diminish, the El Niño warm water pool still has great potential to disrupt global weather because the high water temperatures directly influence the atmosphere. Oceanographers believe the recent decrease in the size of the warm water pool is a normal part of El Niño's natural rhythm. TOPEX/Poseidon has been tracking these fluctuations of the El Niño warm pool since it began in early 1997. These sea surface height measurements have provided scientists with their first detailed view of how El Niño's warm 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, while purple (the western Pacific) means at least 18 centimeters (7 inches) below normal sea level. 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 these global data, limited regional measurements from buoys and ships, and a forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), has issued an advisory indicating the presence of a strong El Niño condition throughout the winter. For more information, please visit the TOPEX/Poseidon project web page at http://topex-www.jp…Original Caption Released with Image
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Addition Date:
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1998-11-04
Addition_Date
1998-11-04
Addition Date
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Produced By:
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JPL
Produced_By
JPL
Produced By
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Mission:
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TOPEX/Poseidon (Jason-1)
Mission
TOPEX/Poseidon (Jason-1)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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TOPEX/Poseidon
Spacecraft
TOPEX/Poseidon
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Earth
Target_Name
Earth
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Altimeter
Instrument
Altimeter
Instrument
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Product Size:
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1908 samples x 1908 lines
Product_Size
1908 samples x 1908 lines
Product Size
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Primary Data Set:
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TOPEX/Poseidon Science and Data
Primary_Data_Set
TOPEX/Poseidon Science and Data
Primary Data Set
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Producer ID:
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P49495
Producer_ID
P49495
Producer ID
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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TOPEX
facet_what
TOPEX
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Jason-1
facet_what
Jason-1
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Poseidon
facet_what
Poseidon
facet_what
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facet_what:
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TOPEX/Poseidon
facet_what
TOPEX/Poseidon
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Altimeter
facet_what
Altimeter
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Australia
facet_where
Australia
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Pacific Ocean
facet_where
Pacific Ocean
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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United States of America
facet_where
United States of America
facet_where
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facet_when:
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Jan, 08, 1998
facet_when
Jan, 08, 1998
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1998
facet_when_year
1998
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PIA01164
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01164
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01164
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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