As El Niño Gets Even Stronger, He's Not Really Looking Like a Child Any Longer — More Like the Monster of 1997/1998

A comparison of sea surface heights and, by extension, temperatures. The left-side measurements come from the TOPEX/Poseidon mission in 1997, while the right side is from Jason 2 in 2015. Comparing the two years, this year seems slightly more intense — for now. (Source: NASA/JPL)