El Niño, La Niña, and the Southern Oscillation

Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies January 1982 to December 1983: One of the strongest El Niņos on record developed during 1982 and continued into 1983. Equatorial sea surface temperatures were 5° C warmer than normal (red colors) during the peak of the event. Courtesy of NOAA/Climate Diagnostics Center
El Niņo and La Niņa in three-dimensions: A three-dimensional view of the equatorial Pacific Ocean shows how sea level varies through the El Niņo/La Niņa cycle. Color coding indicates the sea surface temperature anomaly (red, warmer than normal - El Niņo; blue, colder than normal - La Niņa). NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Lab

Related Web Sites
ENSO Diagnostic Discussion	Read about the current state of El Niņo and La Niņa.
El Niņo Theme Page	Information about El Niņo, along with impacts, monitoring and forecasting of both.
What is La Niņa	Read about what La Niņa is, its impacts on global climate and the current state of the Pacific ocean.
WW2010 Guide to El Niņo	Learn more about El Niņo, upwelling, recent events, and impacts of ENSO.
NOAA Climate Diagnostic Center	Use historical data to map impacts of El Niņo and La Niņa.