An article from the NY Times explains El Nino and how this year they have observed one of the strongest in a generation. Having the job of flying through the event seems like a pretty interesting one. Every ten minutes during the flight, technicians released an instrument package out through the floor called dropsondes. This device measured the wind speed, direction, humidity, and other atmospheric data back to the plane during the entire trip. The data that is gathered from these devices is used to feed weather models to help scientists forecast El Ninos effect on weather. In our module, we learned that El Nino intervals correspond to increased precipitation in California and eastern South America because warm water holds more moisture than cold water. This year has been interesting because most models have been less certain about forecasting El Nino’s effect on weather. Uncertainty in the models this year for California and its prolonged drought has been important for scientists to try and understand. To study the jet stream which is a major reason California tends to be wetter in an El Nino, the data collected from plane rides like this are crucial. The jets fly around an area of convection, or a cell, near the Equator dropping nearly 30 dropsondes. The data from this is used in models that help meteorologists predict weather patterns.

Reference:

Fountain, Henry. “Studying the Heart of El Nino, Where Its Weather Begins.” New York Times. 1 February 2016. Web. Retrieved: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/science/where-el-nino-weather-begins-pacific-ocean-noaa.html?_r=0