Pacific Ocean one branch flows around Cape Horn and the other turns north to form the Peru or Humboldt Current. The climate patterns of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres generally mirror each other. The trade winds in the southern and eastern Pacific are remarkably steady while conditions in the North Pacific are far more varied with, for example, cold winter temperatures on the east coast of Russia contrasting with the milder weather off British Columbia during the winter months due to the preferred flow of ocean currents. In the tropical and subtropical Pacific, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects weather conditions.
Ocean observations Ocean observations The following are considered essential ocean climate variables by the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC) that are currently feasible with current observational systems . Air Temperature Precipitation (meteorology) evaporation Air Pressure, sea level pressure (SLP) Surface radiative fluxes Surface thermodynamic fluxes Wind speed and direction Surface wind stress Water vapor Sea surface temperature (SST) Sea surface salinity (SSS) Sea level Sea state Sea ice Ocean current Ocean color (for biological activity) Carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) There is a composite network of satellites that generate observations. These include: There is a composite network of in situ observations.