Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Kelvin wave
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Images of sea-surface height taken during the El Nino episodes of 1997 and 2015. A line graph compares types of surface waves by energy and wave frequency, showing ordinary tide waves, long-period waves, wind waves, and capillary waves, with causes such as wind, storms, and earthquakes labeled above each category.
False-color map of the equatorial Pacific Ocean showing sea level variations in millimeters, with blue and purple indicating lower sea levels and red and white indicating higher sea levels appearing along the Equator, suggesting the passage of a Kelvin wave and early El Nino development in 2023.
Map of the tropical Pacific Ocean highlighting the four ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) regions: Niño 4, Niño 3.4, Niño 3, and Niño 1+2. The regions are marked as colored rectangles along the equator from near Australia to the coast of South America, illustrating key zones used to monitor El Niño and La Niña climate events.
Related Questions

Kelvin wave: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • David B. Enfield
    Research Oceanographer, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Miami.
  • John P. Rafferty
    John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to the natural world.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Article thoroughly revised and updated. Oct 14, 2026
Add new Web site: Princeton University - Kelvin waves. Sep 09, 2019
Add new Web site: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Kelvin Wave. Mar 26, 2012
New article added. Jul 23, 2009
View Changes:
Article History
Revised:
By: