By Zoila Palma: NASA satellites are tracking signs of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean, including rising sea surface temperatures and changes in ocean levels and colour.
According to NASA, one of the first indicators appeared in January 2026, when a wave of warm water known as a Kelvin wave was detected near Micronesia in the western Pacific. By early April, the waves had reached the eastern Pacific, contributing to warmer ocean temperatures and rising sea levels in some areas.
Kelvin waves transport heat across the Pacific Ocean, helping trigger a chain reaction that weakens the trade winds and allows warm water to accumulate farther east. NASA reported that sea levels in parts of the eastern Pacific rose by approximately 1 to 1.3 feet, while levels around Indonesia and northern Australia were 6 to 8 inches below normal.
NASA data also show that sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are approximately 3 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.7 degrees Celsius, above the long-term average, with the possibility of further warming in the coming months. These temperature changes are significant because ocean heat influences atmospheric conditions, affecting rainfall and weather patterns around the world.
Another sign of El Niño is a change in the ocean’s colour as populations of microscopic marine plants known as phytoplankton decline in some equatorial Pacific waters.
NASA says that its scientists will continue monitoring El Niño through its fleet of Earth-observing satellites to better understand the phenomenon and its potential effects.
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