Kelvin Waves Roll Along Equator Ushering El Niño to South America

Kelvin waves are moving around the equator, bringing El Niño to South America, according to satellite images.

Kelvin Waves and El Niño

In the ocean, Kelvin waves, which could be an early sign of El Niño conditions, are moving over the equatorial Pacific and approaching the South American coast.

The most recent sea level information from the US-European satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich shows the equatorial Pacific Ocean is beginning to experience early indicators of an El Niño.

According to the data, Kelvin waves-which are hundreds of miles broad and 2 to 4 inches high at the ocean's surface-are traveling from west to east down the equator in the direction of South America's west coast.

Kelvin waves, which originate near the equator, transport warm water from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific, which is connected to increased sea levels. A well-known forerunner to an El Niño, a recurring climate event that can alter weather patterns all around the world, is a succession of Kelvin waves beginning in the spring.

Along the western shores of the Americas, it is marked by rising sea levels and warmer-than-average water temperatures.

Because water expands as it heats, areas with warmer water typically have higher sea levels. The trade winds also become less strong during El Niño. The condition has the potential to bring drought to nations in the western Pacific, including Australia and Indonesia, as well as cooler, wetter weather to the US Southwest.

Warmer Water and Higher Sea Levels

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite data spans the months of March 2023 and April 2023. By April 24, higher sea levels and warmer water had accumulated off the shores of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia as a result of Kelvin waves. Radar altimeters, used by satellites like Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich to gauge the height of the ocean's surface, can detect Kelvin waves.

Higher sea levels will be indicated by the data when an altimeter travels over regions that are warmer than others.

They will be closely monitoring this El Niño, according to Josh Willis, a project scientist for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. If it's a significant one, the world will experience record warming, however, within the Southwest US, another rainy winter may follow the region's previous sogginess.

The likelihood that El Niño may form before the end of the summer has lately grown, according to the World Meteorological Organization, which was also mentioned by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In the following months, it should become clearer how powerful it might become thanks to the continuous observation of ocean conditions in the Pacific by tools and satellites like Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich.

It is possible to determine not only the shape and height of the water but also its movements, such as Kelvin and other waves, by measuring sea level from space using satellite altimeters, according to Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, a manager for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich in Washington and NASA program scientist.

Heat is sloshed about the earth by ocean waves, which also change the weather by delivering heat and moisture to the coasts, PhysOrg reports.