NASA warns El Niño is turning Pacific waters blue
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
NASA says satellite observations show a marked colour shift in parts of the equatorial Pacific, where waters that were previously greener have turned bluer over the past year as phytoplankton declined. Scientists link the change to a powerful El Niño that is disrupting normal ocean circulation and reducing the supply of nutrient-rich cold water reaching the surface. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates an 83% chance that this El Niño could become one of the strongest climate events recorded since 1950. NASA data also show sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific running about 1.7 degrees Celsius above the long-term average, with the warm-water band stretching from the South American coast into the central Pacific.
Key Points
- NASA's latest satellite monitoring found equatorial Pacific waters changed from broad green areas to deeper blue over the past year.
- Scientists said greener seas usually indicate abundant phytoplankton carrying out photosynthesis near the ocean surface.
- Those microscopic organisms depend on nutrient-rich deep cold water, but El Niño has disrupted circulation and weakened upwelling.
- El Niño is a natural climate cycle that typically appears every two to seven years and warms the eastern equatorial Pacific.
- NOAA estimates an 83% probability this episode becomes among the strongest since 1950, with eastern Pacific temperatures about 1.7C above average.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the story matters because changes in Pacific ocean conditions can feed into wider global weather disruptions that eventually affect the region. The reported drop in phytoplankton also points to possible stress on marine food chains, making the colour change more than a visual curiosity.