1997–1998 El Niño event

Meteorological event in the Pacific Ocean May 2017 1997–1998 El Niño event Sst 9798 animated.gif Animation of sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the equator. May 1997 June 1998$32–96 billionINTERNATIONAL STUDY RELEASED ‘LESSONS FROM THE 1997-1998 EL NIÑO: ONCE BURNED, TWICE SHY?’, United Nations Press Release, October 27, 2000 The Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas The 1997–1998 El Niño was regarded as one of the most powerful El Niño–Southern Oscillation events in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding and other natural disasters across the globe. It caused an estimated 16% of the world's reef systems to die, and temporarily warmed air temperature by 1.5 C-change F-change compared to the usual increase of 0.25 C-change F-change associated with El Niño events.10.1029/2000JD000298 Evolution of El Niño–Southern Oscillation and global atmospheric surface temperatures Journal of Geophysical Research 107 D8 4065 2002 Trenberth Kevin E. 2002JGRD..107.4065T free The costs of the event were considerable, leading to global economic losses of US$5.7 trillion within five years.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adf2983 Persistent effect of El Niño on global economic growth Callahan C. Mankin J. S. 2023 July 23, 2023 Science 380 6649 1064–1069 10.1126/science.adf2983 37200450 2023Sci...380.1064C subscription It led to a severe outbreak of Rift Valley fever after extreme rainfall in north-eastern Kenya and southern Somalia.http://www.allcountries.org/health/el_nino_and_its_health_impact.html El Nino and its health impact Allcountries.org July 22, 2015 It also led to record rainfalls in California during the water season of 1997–98, one of Indonesia's worst droughts on record, and contributed to the worst tornado outbreak in the history of the state of Florida. 1998 ultimately became the warmest year in recorded history until then.http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/the-el-nino-of-19971998 Weather Extremes : The El Nino of 1997–1998 Wunderground.com July 22, 2015 Meteorological progression thumb|200px|right|The 1997 El Niño observed by TOPEX/Poseidon. The white areas off the tropical coasts of South and North America indicate the pool of warm water In January 1997, probes gathering information on deep water temperatures discovered an area of unusually warm water, centered around 150 meters depth, across the western half of the Pacific Ocean. About 150 m ft on below the surface, water temperatures were about 3 C-change above normal, signifying that an El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event was beginning. By this time, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography had forecast that an ENSO was likely to take place during the latter half of 1997.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography October 10, 1997 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: January 1997 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_01.html Throughout February, water temperatures began increasing over much of the Pacific as well as in shallower waters off the coast of Peru. The above-average water temperatures covered an area roughly 11,000 km mi on across, almost stretching from New Guinea to South America.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography October 10, 1997 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: February 1997 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_08.html 3 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230403172053/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_08.html dead By April, the ENSO became fully established; a column of warm water extended to the surface in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and water anomalies exceeded 5 C-change about 150 m ft on below the ocean surface. At the surface off the coast of Peru, water temperatures averaged 3 C-change above normal.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography October 10, 1997 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: April 1997 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_16.html 3 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230403172101/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_16.html dead Exceedingly warm waters became apparent by May, especially off the coast of South America where anomalies were reaching 7 C-change above normal. Further north, sea surface temperatures along the Pacific coast of North America were increasing, with a large pool of water being 3 C-change above normal.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography October 10, 1997 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: May 1997 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_21.html 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128114949/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_21.html dead By September 1997, the ENSO became very powerful, with surface temperatures between South America and the International Dateline averaging 2 - 4 C-change above normal, roughly a quarter of the planet's circumference. Additionally, the band of warmth along the Pacific coast of North America continued to expand, now stretching from Alaska to southern Mexico. A contrasting area of abnormally cool waters took shape near the coast of Australia by September as well, with waters 150 m ft on below the surface averaging 4 C-change below normal.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography October 10, 1997 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: September 1997 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_37.html 14 February 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200214163435/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_37.html dead Along the Pacific coast of the Americas, the volume of 21 to 30 C F on water was roughly 30 times greater than that of all the water in the Great Lakes combined. The extra heat energy created by this anomaly was also about 93 times more than the energy produced by fossil fuels in the United States during 1995.National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1999 February 12, 2011 1997–98 El Niño http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/lithographs/El_Nino.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20130218201228/http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftp_docs/lithographs/El_Nino.pdf 18 February 2013 dead dmy-all By January 1998, sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru continued to increase, reaching 11 C-change above average. However, the region of cooler than average water in the western Pacific expanded, signifying that a La Niña would take shape in the latter part of 1998.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography June 10, 1998 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: January 1998 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_53.html 18 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210518003804/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_53.html dead Just two months later, the extent of above-average water temperatures sharply decreased as the El Niño weakened.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography June 10, 1998 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: March 1998 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_64.html 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128114952/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_64.html dead The 1997–98 ENSO event finally ended during May 1998 as below-average water temperatures extended across much of the Pacific.Pierce, David W Scripps Institution of Oceanography June 10, 1998 August 1, 2010 1997–98 El Niño: May 1998 http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_74.html 28 January 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220128114952/http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/en97/en97_74.html dead Effects on tropical cyclone activity The 1997–98 El Niño Event had various effects on tropical cyclone activity around the world, with more tropical cyclones than average occurring in the Pacific basins. This included the Southern Pacific basin between 160°E and 120°W, where 16 tropical cyclones in the South Pacific were observed during the 1997–98 season compared to an average of around 8.Australian Bureau of Meteorology Chappel Lori-Carmen The South Pacific and Southeast Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclone Season 1997–98 http://www.bom.gov.au/amm/docs/2000/chappel.pdf July 1, 2014 135–136 live Australian Meteorological Magazine 49 June 2, 2000 Bate Peter W https://web.archive.org/web/20130707165109/http://www.bom.gov.au/amm/docs/2000/chappel.pdf 7 July 2013 RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre Fiji Meteorological Service August 29, 2007 26 March 2009 May 29, 2011 http://www.pacificdisaster.net/pdnadmin/data/original/TC_Seasonal_Summary_97-98.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20090326164931/http://www.met.gov.fj/documents/TC_Seasonal_Summary_97-981190690538.pdf RSMC Nadi Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Summary 1997–98 dead dmy-all The area where most of the tropical cyclones developed was shifted eastwards, with parts of the Cook Islands and French Polynesia impacted as a result.National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research July 28, 2015 https://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/climate/information-and-resources/clivar/elnino 23 April 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150423140744/https://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/climate/information-and-resources/clivar/elnino El Niño and climate forecasting live In the West Pacific basin, the season saw a record of 11 super typhoons, with 10 of them reaching Category 5 intensity. In the east Pacific basin, the 1997 season featured two Category 5 hurricanes, Guillermo and Linda, the latter of which was the strongest on record before Patricia took that title during the 2015 season. The North Pacific basin broke the record for having the most tropical cyclones reaching Category 4 and 5 intensities with 17 that season. However, the 2015 season surpassed it with 21 tropical cyclones during the 2014–16 El Niño event. See also Super El Niño events 1997 Pacific typhoon season 1997 Pacific hurricane season 1997 Atlantic hurricane season 1997–98 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season 1997–98 Australian region cyclone season 1997–98 South Pacific cyclone season 1997 North Indian Ocean cyclone season 1998 Pacific typhoon season References 2 El Nino 1997-98 El Nino 1997-98 1997-98