SST data comes from NASA's TRMM satellite. Warmer than normal temperatures are shown in red. Cooler than normal temperatures are shown in blue. The cool waters associated with La Nina have virtually disappeared and are only one to two degrees cooler than normal in the central Pacific and actually four degrees above normal in the eastern Pacific. If current trends continue, water temperatures will return to near normal in the Pacific or perhaps move to a slight warm phase in the coming months.
Ocean temperatures can influence atmospheric patterns on a global scale.
Higher than normal sea levels are shown in red, lower than normal sea levels are shown in green. Sea height is also an indicator of ocean temperature and is a measure of how much heat is stored in the ocean. Warmer than normal temperatures are shown in red, cooler than normal temperatures are shown in blue. Note the correlation between sea height and sea temperatures. Deep - By combining data from satellites and ocean buoys, scientists can better understand what is happening beneath the surface of the ocean.