AMSR_E Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Data Used to Forecast 2003 Hurricane Season

  • Released Monday, June 23, 2003
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Researchers and forecasters often study sea surface temperatures for an activity predictions for 2003 in part to changing conditions in the Pacific Ocean, such as the demise of El Niño. This sequence traces the evolution of the warmer-than-normal waters associated with the weak El Niño that developed in the late fall of 2002. By January, the warm conditions began to dissipate. Fewer than normal hurricanes generally form when El Niño is present. Researchers say the Pacific may transition to the colder-than-normal La Niña phase. Areas in red represent warmer than normal and areas in blue represent cooler than normal.

This animation show a year in the life of global ocean temperatures, June 2, 2002 to May 11, 2003. Green indicates the coolest water, yellow the warmest.

Video slate image reads "AMSR-E Pacific Sea Surface TemperatureUsed to Forecast 2003 Hurricane Season".

Video slate image reads "AMSR-E Pacific Sea Surface Temperature

Used to Forecast 2003 Hurricane Season".

For More Information

See http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0529hurricane03.html

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Monday, June 23, 2003.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:57 PM EDT.

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