SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE (SST)

Sea surface temperature anomalies have trended cooler throughout the central and eastern equatorial Pacific during the past few months. By early January 2006, equatorial SSTs were up to 1°C cooler than average in most areas between the 180º meridian eastward to 110°W, while positive anomalies of +1°C were found only in equatorial waters between Papua New Guinea and Pohnpei (150°E and 160°E). Subsurface temperatures were up to 2°C colder than normal to depths of 200 meters across the entire equatorial strip of the eastern tropical Pacific. Warmer-than-normal subsurface water was found only west of the 180° meridian. This pattern of SST and subsurface temperature is consistent with La Niña.