NASA Satellites Observe Historic 2026 El Niño

NASA satellites are tracking a powerful El Niño climate pattern across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA, there is an 83 percent chance that this is the strongest El Niño event since 1950. The event began when slow-moving pulses of warm water called Kelvin waves transferred heat from west to east across the Pacific, weakening trade winds and raising sea levels.

In the eastern Pacific, sea surface temperatures are already about 3 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average. Instruments on Sentinel-6 satellites measured water height, while microwave and infrared radiometers mapped the expanding band of warm water. The warm waters also altered the color of the ocean. NASA’s PACE satellite tracked a shift toward bluer hues along the equator, indicating a drop in microscopic plants called phytoplankton.

These organisms thrive in cool, nutrient-rich waters, but weakened trade winds reduced the upwelling of deep water, limiting their food supply. NASA scientists continue to use Earth-observing satellites to monitor the progression of the climate pattern and its cascading effects on the marine food web.