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Each El Niño event is linked to heating the surface waters of the Southern Ocean. On occasion, the Peruvian current changes directions in the months surrounding December, delivering warm water to the Southern Ocean. Areas of warm and adjacent cold waters are then slowly transported eastward around Antarctica (Pathfinder SST data), approaching Australia and perhaps causing increased rainfall (TOVS rain data)(TRMM TMI rain data).

NASA researchers in the Cryospheric Sciences Program within NASA's Earth Science Enterprise have found strong relationships between El Niño episodes and changes in climate and sea ice cover around Antarctica (see AMSR-E page). In local regions, higher sea level pressure (TOPEX/Poseidon data), warmer air temperature, and warmer sea surface temperature (Pathfinder SST data) are generally associated with the El Niño phase. In another study, correlations with ENSO indices imply that up to 40 percent of the variance in Antarctic sea ice extent anomalies is linearly related to ENSO. A third study shows that there is significant interannual variability in Weddell Sea ice formation, drift, and extent on the ENSO timescale, with a period of ~8 years.

Other research by NASA scientists indicates the existence of long-term trends in both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. Sea ice around Antarctica has tended to increase since the late 1970s while Arctic sea ice has decreased. The study of these trends will continue using data from AMSR-E on Aqua.

Jump to 'Antarctic Climate and Sea Ice' List of Web Sites

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• Information About ENSO Events
• ENSO Cycle

• El Niño Events

• La Niña Events

• El Niño 2002-03

• Information About ENSO Effects and Impacts
• Regional Effects
  • Central and Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean

  • Tropospheric Temperature and Humidity

  • Antarctic Currents and Sea Ice

  • Northeastern Pacific Ocean and the West Coast of North America

  • Caribbean Corals and North African Dust

• Weather

• Diseases

• Wildfires

Disclaimer: NASA offers these suggested sites for additional information regarding effects of El Niño and La Niña teleconnection events. Web access is required to reach these sites. Link existence and contents are not under the control of the EOSDIS Science Operations Office.

Antarctic Currents and Sea Ice Web Sites

• El Niño Link To Southern Ocean Currents: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/pacific-01b.html

• NASA Study Links El Niño and Southern Ocean Changes: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2002/200203057837.html

• The Global Connectivity of Antarctic Sea Ice: http://moon.ldgo.columbia.edu/~xiaojun/an.html

• ERS Satellite Microwave Radar Observations of Antarctic Sea-Ice Dynamics: http://oceans-www.jpl.nasa.gov/mrd/PUBLICATIONS/Drinkwater+Liu_ESA.html

• Top Story - SATELLITES SHOW OVERALL INCREASES IN ANTARCTIC SEA ICE COVER - August 22, 2002: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020820southseaice.html

• DAAC Study: Space-based Ice Sight: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/mamm/

• DAAC Study: Polynyas, CO2 and Diatoms in the Southern Ocean: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Polynyas/

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