EL NIÑO'S POWERFUL REACH   What is
El Niņo?		 Clues From
the Past		 Long Distance
Connections		 Winners &
Losers		 El Niņo
Lowdown

Left 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A Natural Cycle Right

Pacific Ocean's Surface Temperatures
This graph shows how the Pacific Ocean's surface temperatures have warmed and cooled over the last 50 years.

El Niņo events have occurred for tens of thousands of years. But they happen at irregular intervals, and their intensity varies from event to event. This graph shows degrees of changes from average sea surface temperatures:

+0.5 Celsius (Red) = El Niņo conditions
-0.5 Celsius (Blue) = La Niņa conditions		 Click to View Animation
Click to view animation.