News by Levels · Level 1 · Student worksheet

NASA Compares Two El Niño Events

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

NASA shared maps comparing the Pacific Ocean in October 1997 and October 2026. Both show unusually high water in the central and eastern Pacific.

Warm water expands, so sea height helps scientists follow El Niño. Similar maps do not mean that every place will get the same weather.

A sea-height map measures height, not the rain at your home. Warm water can help explain a higher surface. Two similar ocean maps can guide a comparison, but they do not promise the same weather in every town.

Editorial correction, 26 October 2026: We reviewed source attribution, wording and reading practice, correcting unsupported claims where needed. This is a retrospective archive review; the original publication date is retained.

Source: Sources checked 26 October 2026. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/el-nino-then-and-now/

Read and practise

1. What does the map measure directly?

   1. Rainfall at every home
   2. Sea-surface height
   3. The number of future storms

2. What does resemblance to an earlier event support?

   1. A guarantee that every region repeats its past weather
   2. A conclusion that all other conditions are equal
   3. A useful comparison, not identical local weather

Your turn

Explain why an ocean map is not a local rainfall forecast.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/nasa-el-nino-satellite-comparison-october-2026/level-1/