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Pacific shows signs of morphing to cool La Nina NASA/JPL PHOTO RELEASE Posted: March 5, 2007 New data of sea-level heights from early February, 2007, by the Jason altimetric satellite show that the tropical Pacific Ocean has transitioned from a warm (El Nino) to a cool (La Nina) condition during the prior two months. The beginnings of a possible La Nina are indicated by the blue area (in the center of the image along the equator) of lower than normal sea level (cold water). It is not certain yet if this current cooling trend will eventually evolve into a long-lasting, well-developed La Nina.
A La Nina situation often follows an El Nino episode and is essentially the opposite of an El Nino condition. During a La Nina, trade winds are stronger than normal, and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific. A La Nina situation changes global weather patterns and is associated with less moisture in the air, resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America. Jason will continue to track this developing switch in the climate. This image of the Pacific Ocean was produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the U.S.-French Jason satellite. The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on February 12, 2007, compared to the long-term average of observations from 1993 through 2005. In this image, places where the Pacific sea surface height is higher (warmer) than normal are yellow and red, and places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are blue and purple. Green shows where conditions are near normal. Sea-surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the upper ocean. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. portion of the U.S./French Jason mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. |
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This U.S. Senate space subcommittee hearing to examine NASA's proposed Fiscal Year 2008 budget features testimony from NASA Administrator Mike Griffin on February 28.
Launch of space shuttle Atlantis is postponed after golf ball-sized hail from a severe storm damaged the foam insulation on the external fuel tank. NASA announces the delay and plans to return the shuttle to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs.
Spacewalking astronauts on the December 2006 flight of shuttle Discovery performed a delicate re-wiring of the International Space Station's electrical system and retracted a stubborn solar array wing. The work accomplished critical steps in preparing the station to power the upcoming international science laboratory modules. Some members of the STS-116 crew narrate the highlights of the mission in this post-flight film.
Shuttle Endeavour's visit to the space station in June 2002 brought up the Expedition 5 long-duration resident crew, a load of supplies and the Mobile Base System to serve as the platform for moving the station's robotic arm up and down the truss backbone. The shuttle crew also performed some surgery on the robot arm by replacing a failed joint. The crew narrates the highlights of STS-111 in this post-flight film.
The United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket roared away from Cape Canaveral Saturday carrying a quintet of NASA probes that seek to understand the physics behind auroral displays.
The STS-117 astronauts meet the press during the traditional pre-flight news conference held at the Johnson Space Center a month prior to launch. The six-person crew will deliver and activate a solar-power module for the International Space Station.