These observations suggest that the world’s climate system is moving towards a powerful El Niño event that scientists fear could intensify in the months ahead. Some say the Godzilla El Nino is emerging and its true and worst impact is still to be felt. Long before shifts in rainfall become apparent and before the full impact on the Indian monsoon is felt, ISRO’s EOS-06 satellite, better known as Oceansat-3 satellite, is detecting biological and atmospheric changes unfolding across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Title: ISRO Satellite Detects Clearest Sign yet of a Developing “Mother of All” El Niño events From a perch 741 kilometres above Earth, an Indian satellite is tracking what may be the best visible fingerprints of a strengthening El Niño.
ISRO released the data and images today. The key signal being watched by scientists is a sharp decline in chlorophyll-a, a pigment found in microscopic marine plants known as phytoplankton. These tiny organisms form the foundation of the ocean food chain. ISRO scientists note that if El Niño intensifies further as forecast, the low chlorophyll region across the Pacific could become even more pronounced in the coming months. The strengthening signal is not being tracked only by India. The prospect of a powerful El Niño developing at a time when global temperatures remain exceptionally high has drawn close attention from climate scientists around the world. By combining measurements of chlorophyll and wind patterns, scientists can monitor the ocean’s response to El Niño almost in real time.
Of June 2026 observations revealed a notable reduction in surface chlorophyll-a across parts of the tropical Pacific compared with the same period in 2024 and 2025 when El Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO conditions were largely neutral, according to analysis by ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad. At the same time, EOS-06 detected a reversal of ocean surface winds from easterlies to westerlies, a classic sign associated with the development of El Niño conditions. The World Meteorological Organization has also warned that a very strong El Niño is emerging and could persist into early 2027, raising concerns about extreme weather, higher global temperatures and widespread climate disruptions. What makes EOS-06 especially valuable is its ability to observe both biological and physical indicators of climate change from space. Launched aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 22 November 2022, the satellite carries the Ocean Colour Monitor-3 and Scatterometer to track marine ecosystems, ocean winds and atmosphere ocean interactions.
“The important inference is that apart from Sea Surface Temperature (SST), phytoplankton depletion also gives clear indication of El Niño status and its impact on ocean response in the Pacific Ocean,” Prakash Chauhan said.
What makes this observation particularly important is that chlorophyll responds almost immediately to changes in ocean dynamics.
Scientists say chlorophyll depletion may provide an earlier indication of El Niño development than traditional sea surface temperature based indices that often require sustained warming over several weeks before an event is formally declared.
Scientists caution that while chlorophyll decline and wind reversals are strong indicators, the evolution of El Niño will continue to be monitored alongside sea surface temperature, thermocline depth, and sea level height and ocean circulation patterns. From hundreds of kilometres above Earth, the satellite is detecting subtle changes in marine life and ocean winds that could herald the arrival of one of the most consequential climate events on the planet. If forecasts prove correct, the message emerging from the Pacific is clear. The developing El Niño is already leaving its fingerprints on the oceans and an Indian satellite is among the first witnesses.
Even so, EOS-06 has already demonstrated an important capability. From its 741 kilometre vantage point, EOS-06 may be offering scientists an early glimpse of what could become one of the strongest El Niño events in recent years, potentially carrying major implications for global weather and the Indian monsoon alike.
