News by Levels · Level 3 · Student worksheet

Satellite Altimetry Puts the 2026 El Niño in Context

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

NASA compared October sea-height anomalies from 1997 and 2026 using a long satellite record. Elevated water extends across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

Thermal expansion links ocean height to stored heat. However, a resemblance between events does not establish identical weather outcomes in individual regions.

Source: NASA Earth Observatory, 2026-10-23. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/el-nino-then-and-now/

Read and practise

1. Which link supports the use of altimetry?

   1. Thermal expansion links height and heat
   2. Height alone fixes every regional forecast
   3. Every El Niño has identical effects

2. Which inference goes beyond these measurements?

   1. The ocean patterns have similarities
   2. Every region will repeat its 1997 weather
   3. Regional outcomes remain uncertain

Your turn

Explain why similar observations can coexist with uncertain regional effects.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/nasa-el-nino-satellite-comparison-october-2026/level-3/