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Hydrographic Conditions Off Northern Chile During The 1996-1998 La Niña And El Niño Events, Jose Luis Blanco, Mary-Elena Carr, Andrew C. Thomas, P. Ted Strub

CCPO Publications

The evolution of oceanographic conditions in the upwelling region off northern Chile (18°-24°S) between 1996 and 1998 (including the 1997-1998 El Niño) is presented using hydrographic measurements acquired on quarterly cruises of the Chilean Fisheries Institute, with sea surface temperature (SST), sea level, and wind speeds from Arica (18.5°S), Iquique (20.5°S), and Antofagasta (23.5°S) and a time series of vertical temperature profiles off Iquique. Spatial patterns of sea surface temperature and salinity from May 1996 to March 1997 followed a normal seasonal progression, though conditions were anomalously cool and fresh. Starting in March 1997, positive anomalies in sea level and …