Depiction of El Niño (IMAGE) NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Caption Increased sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean characterizes an El Niño, which is followed by weather changes throughout the world. Credit NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.