Research notes and updates from the team.
In Jan 2026, the observed Dipole Mode Index was near zero, indicating neutral IOD conditions across the Indian Ocean. According to the CCSR@NASA-GISS/IRI’s criteria for defining positive and negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, a positive IOD phase is defined when the DMI exceeds +0.4 °C, and a negative IOD when it falls below −0.4 °C.
Read more →The observed SST anomaly in the NINO3.4 region during the Nov–Jan 2026 season was -0.61 °C, and for January 2026, it was -0.54 °C. The most recent weekly average (week centered on February 11, 2026) of the NINO3.4 index was -0.2 °C. These values indicate that Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies have been experiencing weak but declining La Niña conditions across the equatorial Pacific.
Read more →During January 2026, sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies remained in weak La Niña territory across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, with the monthly Niño 3.4 index at -0.54 °C. This marked the third consecutive month that SST anomalies have persisted below the La Niña threshold value.
Read more →The observed SST anomaly in the NINO3.4 region during the Oct–Dec 2025 season was -0.59 °C, and for December 2025, it was -0.61 °C. The most recent weekly average (week centered on January 14, 2026) of the NINO3.4 index was -0.7 °C. These values indicate that Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies have been experiencing weak La Niña conditions across the equatorial Pacific.
Read more →In December 2025, the observed Dipole Mode Index was –0.55 °C, indicating that negative IOD conditions persisted across the Indian Ocean. According to the CCSR@NASA-GISS/IRI’s criteria for defining positive and negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, a positive IOD phase is defined when the DMI exceeds +0.4 °C, and a negative IOD when it falls below −0.4 °C.
Read more →During December 2025, sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies remained in La Niña territory across the central-eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, with the monthly Niño 3.4 index at -0.61 °C. This marked the second consecutive month that SST anomalies persisted below the La Niña threshold value.
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