U.S. Dept. of Commerce / NOAA/ OAR / PMEL / Publications
Genesis and Evolution of the 1997-98 El Niño
Michael J. McPhaden
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington
Science, 283, 950954 (1999)
Copyright ©1999 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Further electronic distribution is not
allowed.
The 199798 El Niño-Southern Oscillation was, by some measures, the strongest on record, with major
climatic impacts felt around the world. A newly completed tropical Pacific atmosphere-ocean observing system documented
this El Niño from its rapid onset to its sudden demise in greater detail than was ever before possible. The
unprecedented measurements challenge existing theories for El Niño-related climate swings and suggest why climate
forecast models underpredicted the strength of the El Niño prior to its onset.
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