Monitoring El Niņo's Pulse: NOAA Develops New Ocean Sensors

With the Northeast still reeling form the paralyzing ice storms being blamed on El Niņo, it's hard to think ahead to what El Niņo will bring next.

We may not be able to ward off the blows of El Niņo but at least the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working on a way to make our predictions even better.

Right now, scientists base most of their El Niņo predictions on a string of 70 sensor-encrusted buoys strung across the central Pacific Ocean, where El Niņo storms are born. The sensors have proven reliable and accurate, even though they are based on technology from the 1970s. The buoy sensors give daily readings and need to be serviced after only one year. That has meant the arduous deploying and servicing of more than 500 of these buoys during the ten-year research phase of the program.

NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle has started testing a new generation of buoys that will be much easier to deploy and service. Best of all, the instruments will sample and store data every ten minutes and provide more accurate information on rainfall, humidity, winds, radiation and water and air temperatures, among other things. More timely and accurate data will give everyone more accurate forecasts of what the effects of the next El Niņo may be.

NOAA scientists hope to have the entire network of 70 buoys upgraded within three to four years.

For more information contact Matt Stout at (202) 482-6090.

EMAIL: Matthew.Stout@noaa.gov