Oceanographic Events During El Niño

El Nino events, the most spectacular instances of interannual variability in the ocean, have profound consequences for climate and the ocean ecosystem. The 1982-1983 El Nino is perhaps the strongest in this century. El Nino events usually have followed a predictable pattern, but the recent event differs markedly. The physical oceanography of this El Nino is described and compared with that of earlier events.