ENSO Info
The ENSO Image
Created by Michael Tippett
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In Japan, an "enso" is a brushed-ink painting of a Zen circle that monks
make while meditating. Among its many meanings, the enso circle represents
the endless cycle of life. The image, shown here and on the home page of
the ENSO Info, is the ENSO version of the enso circle.
The ENSO image shows deviations of sea-surface temperatures from their climatological
values along the latitudinal slice 15S to 15N at longitude 110W during the
1997-98 El Niño and the 1998-2000 La Niña. The redest colors
indicate sea-surface temperatures about 4 degrees C above normal, and the
bluest colors sea-surface temperatures about 4 degrees C below normal. The
period from January 1997 to April 2000 is shown with time going counter-clockwise.
January 1997 is at about 2 o'clock on the image. The width of the circle is
related to the magnitude of the sea surface temperature anomalies. The asymmetry
of the enso occurs because El Niño sea-surface temperature anomalies
are larger than the La Niña ones.
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