The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory released a short article this week describing research to be published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. In the article it discusses the variability in temperature distributions in different El Nino episodes. Some episodes feature strong temperature anomalies, while others are weaker. Some favor the strongest warming near the coast of South America, while in other episodes the warmest water is farther to the west. The exact distribution and strength of the temperature anomalies will determine the effects it has on other parts of the world by shifting global weather patterns around. You can read the somewhat technical summary here.
