These data, taken during a 10-day collection cycle ending March 9, 2001,show that above-normal sea-surface heights and warmer ocean temperatures(indicated by the red and white areas) still blanket the far-westerntropical Pacific and much of the north (and south) mid-Pacific. Red areas are about 10centimeters (4 inches) above normal; white areas show the sea-surfaceheight is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal.
This build-up of heat dominating the Western Pacific was first noted byTOPEX/Poseidon oceanographers more than two years ago and has outlastedthe El Niño and La Niña events of the past few years. See:http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/elnino/990127.html . This warmth contrasts withthe Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and tropical Pacific wherelower-than-normal sea levels and cool ocean temperatures continue(indicated by blue areas). The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) belownormal, whereas the purple areas range from 14 to18 centimeters (6 to 7inches) below normal. Actually, the near-equatorial ocean cooled throughthe fall of 2000 into mid-winter and continues almost La Niña-like.
Looking at the entire Pacific basin, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation'swarm horseshoe and cool wedge pattern still dominates this sea-levelheight image. Most recent National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) sea-surface temperature data also clearly illustrate the persistence ofthis basin-wide pattern. They are available athttp://psbsgi1.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/PSB/EPS/SST/climo.html
References & Resources
Image courtesy CNES, NASA, and JPL TOPEX/Poseidon project
