An oceanic anomaly off the coast of the Western United States that had troubled meteorologist and oceanologist alike has disappeared as mysteriously as it popped up in 2014. The patch of inexplicably warm water in the Pacific Ocean was referred to as “The Blob” by the scientists who studied it. Some believe it was generated by “The Ridiculously Resilient Ridge of 2013″….(these scientists have a flair for naming things.)
Thankfully this seasons strong El Niño weather pattern was sufficient enough break apart the blob with low sea surface pressures and winds.
The disappearance of The Blob is great for those in the fishing industry. The warm waters fed a massive toxic algae bloom and killed off marine life. Whats troubling to those who study these types of events is there is no real explanation or way of predicting them. Scientists can’t be sure The Blob won’t return or even multiply but are working towards a better explanation that could lead to forecasting them.
The temperature difference between July 2015 and January 2016
