Something Brewing in the Pacific?

[warrior1]

According to data from the NASA/French Space Agency Jason-2 satellite, something is brewing in the Pacific. Researchers say it could be a significant El Niño with implications for global weather and climate. Get the full story from Science@NASA.

http://spaceweather.com/

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/19may_elnino/

El Niño: Is 2014 the new 1997?

May 19, 2014: Every ten days, the NASA/French Space Agency Jason-2 satellite maps all the world's oceans, monitoring changes in sea surface height, a measure of heat in the upper layers of the water. Because our planet is more than 70% ocean, this information is crucial to global forecasts of weather and climate.

Lately, Jason-2 has seen something brewing in the Pacific—and it looks a lot like 1997.

"A pattern of sea surface heights and temperatures has formed that reminds me of the way the Pacific looked in the spring of 1997," says Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "That turned out to be the precursor of a big El Niño."

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[Louisiana1976]

1. Could global climate change be behind this "big El Nino?"

(Sorry Nino is misspelled--my keyboard doesn't have a tilde.)

[sabbat hunter]

2. probably not

we are overdue for a el nino, as we haven't had one in a number of years,having been flipping between a La Nina and a La Nada.

Additionally, if this El Nino develops in to an easterly based one, it could be a big time drought buster for California, given historically how east based El Nino's affect the jet stream.

[jimlup]

4. Hopefully!

Man California is in real trouble right now. They need something to bust that drought.

[emsimon33]

7. "el nada"--lol!

[Le Taz Hot]

9. Man, I hope this works out.

I drove over one of the bridges that goes over the Kings River today which would normally be rapids this time of year. It was, literally, a trickle. I've never seen it this dry here. Ever.

I remember the El Nino of 1997. It rained for about 10 months off and on. It was GREAT for our area (Central San Joaquin Valley) because we're set up for floods (irrigation canals, reservoirs and ponding basins). We desperately need another one.

[SidDithers]

3. Kaiju?...

Sid

[Shandris]

8. LOL! That's exactly what my first thought was too.

Hope its not those later ones, we'll be in for a rough time, what with no jaegers and all!

[Prophet 451]

5. It's Cthulhu

He's rising to eat us all.

[emsimon33]

6. An El Nino would be great just about now for California

We need the rain and we need it very badly!

[1000words]

10. Oh, no ... there goes Tokoyo!

[LeftyMom]

11. We need the rain, but after the fire season that's almost certainly coming?

Hello washed out burn scars. :/ The Sierra's going to take a beating over the next year or so.