Kelvin wave that kicked off 2026 El Niño crosses Pacific, raises West Coast sea levels
This animation shows daily sea level anomalies (difference from the 1993–2012 average) across the Pacific Ocean from March through late October 2026. Places where sea level was higher than average are blue; places where it was lower than average are gray.
The movie shows the west-to-east passage of an oceanic Kelvin wave across the equatorial Pacific in late spring. The wave sloshes against the coast of South America in early to mid-May, and then pushes northward along the coasts of Central America, Mexico, and finally, the U.S. West Coast, where it is bringing San Diego and other California coastal cities much higher than usual high tides. Climate.us animation based on Copernicus satellite altimeter data.
Oceanic Kelvin waves: The next polar vortex*
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