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Super El Niño forces dramatic color shift in the Pacific Ocean
New York Post • • technology
Key Points:
- NASA satellite images reveal a significant color shift in the equatorial Pacific Ocean from green to blue, attributed to the current Super El Niño event suppressing phytoplankton growth by reducing nutrient upwelling.
- El Niño, part of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, causes warmer ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, disrupting global weather patterns and raising concerns about severe weather impacts in 2027.
- NOAA reports an 83% chance that the strongest El Niño in 75 years is underway, with sea surface temperatures already 3 degrees above average and expected to rise further.
- The intensified El Niño is linked to increased risks of heavy rain, flooding, powerful waves, coastal erosion, and temporary sea level rises up to 12 inches due to oceanic Kelvin waves.
- In response to the emerging threats, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency, warning that the event could become the strongest El Niño on record.
