Over view › Normal Walker Circulation› El Nino Event Circulation› La Nina Event Circulation

How Does ENSO Influence US? El Nino SST Images Mechanism for El Nino

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/fwd/climate/enso/pacific-el.GIF

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/fwd/climate/enso/pacific-el.GIF

Florida State University Center For Ocean-Atmosphere Prediction Studies

Florida State University Center For Ocean-Atmosphere Prediction Studies

Sea surface temperature anomaly during the peak of the 2009-10 El Niño, the strongest Central Pacific El Niño observed to date. High Resolution (Source: NASA JPL).

Image from NASA/JPL Ocean Surface Topography team oceanography satellite 

Deviations from normal sea surface temperatures (left) and sea surface heights (right) at the peak of the 2009-2010 central Pacific El Niño, as measured by NOAA polar orbiting satellites and NASA's Jason-1 spacecraft, respectively. The warmest temperatures and highest sea levels were located in the central equatorial Pacific. Image credit: NASA/JPL-NOAA 

Madden Julian Oscillation- › 30-90 day cycle of eastward propagating

deep convection› Strong MJO have been known to cause

intense breakdown of Walker circulation resulting in a Kelvin wave across the equator causing the rapid onset of an El Nino event(Ie. 1982 El Nino)

Introduction to Physical Oceanography, Robert Stewart, 2002

California Institute of Technology, NASA Jet Propulsions Laboratory http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/

Florida State University, Center For Ocean Atmosphere Predictions Studies http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southern Head Quarters http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/fwd/climate/enso/pacific-el.GIF