El Niño Strengthens In The Pacific
El Niño, a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific Ocean with important consequences for weather and climate around the globe, is expected to continue strengthening and last through at least the Northern Hemisphere winter 2009-2010. El Niño is characterized by warm temperatures (red in chart). During October 2009, sea surface temperature anomalies increased across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, nearly a full °C. Above-average subsurface temperature anomalies increased across a large region of the central and east-central Pacific, with anomalies ranging between +1 to +5°C by the end of the month (Fig. 3). Consistent with this warming, it may be the swimmers in the 2010 Catalina Channel may warmer than usual water temperatures, but consistent with the El Niño characteristis, wind anomalies may also be strengthened.
It will be an interesting Pacific Ocean marathon swimming season.
Copyright by Open Water Source
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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