A three-dimensional look at the 2015 El Niño
Deep Water · 01:20 · 2017
Deep Water · 00:30 · 2026
Sea surface height anomaly, one year
Where the ocean stands higher or lower than its long-term average. Warm water expands and bulges; cold water sinks. Satellite altimetry rendered as a 30-second global loop.
What to look for
The colours show height, not temperature: how far the surface stands above or below its long-term average. Watch the band along the equator, and the regions of strong currents where eddies form and drift.
Part of
- The sea has a shape, film 2 of 4. Next: A three-dimensional look at the 2015 El Niño
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