The Pacific Blob is Back - What Does That Mean for Weather in the Months Ahead?

The "Blob" is back. It may sound like something out of a horror movie, but the blob in question is a technical weather term for a pocket of ocean water running well above average in temperature. What does the blob's return to the Pacific mean for the weather in the months ahead? Read on for all of the details.

How the Pacific Blob Disrupts Marine Ecosystems

The Pacific blob is back at it again. This zone of warmer water that stretches across much of the North Pacific Ocean is expected to trigger a slew of disruptions to weather patterns and marine life.

The blob forms as a result of a relentless area of high pressure that refuses to budge as it stalls over the ocean. As with most high-pressure systems, this one also translates to stable and calm air. The calm conditions naturally put a lid on the winds in the region.

Without these winds, the process known as upwelling diminishes. Upwelling is the term used to describe the natural movement of ocean water that brings up the colder and nutrient-rich waters from the ocean floor, sending them closer to the surface. The upwelling process keeps the warmer air on the surface of the ocean cooler, supporting the marine habitat.

Marine biologists compare the absence of a normal upwelling cycle for marine life to what humans may feel when the air conditioning goes out during the middle of the summer. In meteorological terms, the blob is similar to the heat domes that are common during the summer season in the U.S. These massive high-pressure systems are distinguished by the heat waves that they support.

Water movement is less efficient as the ocean water temperatures begin to climb. This results in slower ocean currents. The deceleration of these currents means that the nutrients do not spread as freely throughout the water. The normal food chain in the ocean is disrupted as there is not as much oxygen available for the marine life.

Although most critters in the ocean are negatively impacted by the blob, some species benefit from the warmer temperatures. For example, while salmon and cold-water plankton struggle with the warmer temperatures, sardines and tuna thrive in the warmer habitat.