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PSD's El Niño FAQ

* How will El Niņo impact a particular region of the world?
* What are the predictions for El Niņo?
* What is the SOI (Southern Oscillation Index)?
* When is the MEI updated? How can I get those numbers?
* Can I use PSD plots and how do I acknowledge PSD?
* What is the most recent SST/El Niņo data available?
* What is a good source of El Niņo information for young people?
* What is source of El Niņo/La Niņa information for adults?
* How do I get climate data to look at El Niņo myself.
* What years are El Niņo/La Niņa years.
* What is the difference between El Niņo, ENSO and the Southern Oscillation?
* Who are good contacts for reporters?
* Where can I find other ENSO FAQs?

How will El Niņo impact a particular region?

There has been a lot research investigating the effects of El Nino/Southern Oscillation on climate (temperature, rainfall, snowpack, climate extremes etc.) throughout the world. The research has been compiled at several web sites including Note that there are very few regions where the effects of El Niņo/La Nina are consistent every year due to both the varying nature of El Niņo and the inherent variance of the atmosphere/ocean system. The research is best utilized to indicate the probability of what the effects will be.

What are the predictions for El Niņo?

Official predictions for El Niņo are produced by the Climate Prediction Center. Unofficial forecasts based on different models and/or statistical techniques are also available at several locations.

When is the MEI updated? How can I get those numbers?

The MEI is generally updated by the 3rd workday of the month. If you are interested in obtaining the numbers used in the plot or want further information about how the index is derived, please contact Klaus Wolter klaus.wolter@noaa.gov

Can I use PSD plots and how do I acknowledge PSD?

You can use any PSD generated plot (either from a pregenerated figure or from an interactive program). We ask that you acknowledge the PSD in the publication. For example, "Image provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, Boulder Colorado from their Web site at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/".

What is the most recent SST/El Niņo data?

NOAA's PMEL maintains a list of the most recent data/plots available.

What is a good source of El Niņo information for young people?

Several good resources are:
El Nino/Earth Science Virtual Classroom (junior high-graduate school)
El Nino Teaching Module grads 9-graduate, NOAA's OAR primer and the GLOBE project background material.

What is source of information for adults?

There are numerous webpages that have information about El Niņo. Some are "complete" websites that have links to data, research, predictions and so forth. These include the NOAA El Niño page, the NOAA PMEL web page. In addition, there are several good pages that try to give complete overviews of what El Niño is. One of the better ones of these is the NCAR El Niño Colloquium.

How do I get climate data to look at El Niņo myself?

PMEL maintains a list of El Niņo related data sources. Other sources of data include the National Climate Data Center (basic station data on daily and monthly time scales), the (National Snow and Ice Data Center), the National Geophysical Data Center, National Oceanographic Data Center, the NOAA server (search ALL of NOAA's data holdings), National Center for Atmospheric Research Data Inventory and the meteorological FAQ.

What years are El Niņo/La Niņa years?

Definitions for what constitute an El Niņo/La Niņa event vary so there is not a definitive set of years. However, PSD (from Smith and Sardeshmukh and Kiladas and Diaz), CPC, COAPS and FSU maintain a list of years used in their research. In addition, CPC has a list of various atmospheric/ocean indexes from 1950 that can be used to determine ENSO years. NASA has a precipitation based ENSO timeseries called the ESPI. Some ENSO timeseries are available from 1871 at PSD's GCOS Timeseries webpagev and more at PSD including the MEI.

What is the SOI (Southern Oscillation Index)?

It has been found that the cyclic warming and cooling of the eastern and central Pacific can be seen in the sea level pressure in the region. In particular, when the pressure measured at Darwin is compared with that measured at Tahiti, the differences between the two can be used to generate an "index" number. A positive number indicates La Niņa (eastern tropical Pacific ocean cooling) and a negative number indicates El Niņo (or ocean warming). Historical and recent values can be found at the Climate Prediction Center. PSD has a historical perspective on the SOI.

What is the difference between El Niņo, ENSO and the Southern Oscillation?

El Niņo refers to the oceanic component of the El Niņo/Southern Oscillation system, the Southern Oscillation to the atmospheric component and ENSO to the coupled system. In practice, El Niņo is sometimes used to refer to the entire system.

Who are good contacts for reporters?

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research has 2 media contacts:
Dane Konop (301) 713-2483
Barbara McGehan (Boulder, Colorado) (303) 497-6288

The main contacts for NOAA's department of public affairs are:
Lori Arguelles, Director
TEL: (202) 482-5647
FAX: (202) 219-8827

Tim Tomastik, Deputy Director
TEL: (202) 482-6090
FAX: (202) 482-3154

Where can I find other ENSO FAQs?