Sea-Surface Temperature Anomalies: El Niño
OceansPhysical EnvironmentA composite of sea-surface temperature anomalies during El Niño from November to March during the following years: 1958, 1966, 1973, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, and 1998. When sea-surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise well above normal, it is known as an El Niño event.
NOAASea-surface temperature anomalies during El Niño. The most intense warming (2 to 2.25 degrees Celsius, dark brown) occurs off the coast of South America. Cooler areas (negative 2.25 to negative 2 degrees Celsius, dark blue) are in the Arctic Ocean.
-0.25 to 0.25 | 0.75 to 1.0 | 1.0 to 1.25 | 1.25 to 1.5 | 1.5 to 1.75 | Class | Rank | Metric tons per year | Class | Rank | Millions of U.S. dollars | Class | Rank | Percent | 2 to 2.5 | 2.5 to 3 | 3 to 3.5 | 3.5 to 4 | 4 to 4.5 | 4.5 to 5 | 5 to 5.5 | 5.5 to 6 | 6 to 6.5 | 6.5 to 7 | 7 to 7.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.311% | 1.20% | 0.159% | 0.444% | 2.10% | 4.46% | 1.31% | 8.42% | 29.4% | 29.6% | 32.3% | 18.4% | 19.2% | 2.50% | 13.4% | 3.93% | ||||||||||