Waiting for the water to warm up is like watching grass grow. I does look like we should be getting a little help. Looks like our little La Nina is breaking up. Found this on the NASA site:
La Niña and El Niño episodes tend to occur every three to five years. La Niñas are often preceded by an El Niño, however this cycle is not guaranteed.
The lengths of La Niña events vary as well. “We need to watch to see if this La Niña diminishes, because they can last for multiple years. And if it does last for multiple years, the southern tier of the United States, especially the Southeast, can expect dryer weather. That is not a good situation. If this La Niña behaves like a normal event, we should see signs that it is beginning to weaken by February,” says Adamec.
The cooler waters of a La Niña inhibit cloud growth overhead as seen in this image of the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 8, 2007.
Credit: NASA/Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio
> Larger image So far this La Niña is behaving like a textbook case: following the predicted weather patterns, strengthening throughout the winter, and peaking toward January. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center,
this La Niña episode is expected to continue until the spring of 2008, with a gradual weakening starting in February.
NASA will continue to monitor this phenomenon with several of its key Earth observing satellites.
Instruments on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites measure sea surface temperature and observe changes to life in the ocean, changes of great importance to the fishing industry. The MODIS instruments on these satellites detected the temperature drop that signaled this La Niña period, and SeaWiFS continues to monitor ocean life.
Scientists also look at sea surface height to understand La Niña. The cooler ocean water associated with a La Niña contracts, lowering sea-surface heights. Over the past year, NASA’s Jason satellite has observed a lower than normal sea level along the equatorial Pacific where this current La Niña episode is taking place.
NASA also looks at changes in wind and rain patterns to study La Niña. The QuikSCAT satellite measures changes in oceanic surface winds, while the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite observes changes in rainfall. These observations add to a fuller understanding of this phenomenon.
The current La Niña episode has far many reaching effects. What some may see as just a small change in sea surface temperature has a much greater impact on our climate here in the U.S. and across the globe, as well as implications for the fishing industry and the global economy. With the help of NASA’s earth observing fleet, scientists are becoming better equipped to observe and understand this phenomenon.
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