| Abstract: | Prior to the work of Jacob Bjerknes the El Niño phenomenon was regarded as an aperiodic climatic event confined to the Pacific coast of South America. Spurred by a growing consciousness of the oceans' role in global climate, there has been an explosion of El Niño research in the last two decades. El Niño is now recognized to be an integral part of a Pacific-wide ocean relaxation, with global climatic impacts and economically important ecological consequences. However, we are still groping for the final prize: the ultimate cause of this climate anomaly and the ability to reliably predict its onset and intensity. |
