Like El Niño, a La Niña situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America.
(ENN) -- El Niño really is just about over according to the latest Topex/Poseidon satellite image that suggests the location of a pool of cold water in the central Pacific Ocean has changed very little since mid-June.

The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean conditions. Sea surface height is an indicator of the heat content of the ocean.

The pool of cold water, depicted as the purple area in the center of the image, is lower than normal sea level but has changed very little since mid-June.

This cooling trend in conjunction with a dissipating warm water pool associated with El Niño indicate that the weather phenomenon partially responsible for a worldwide plague of wildfires, droughts and deluges is finally on its way out.

However, the El Niño warm water pool is still prevalent as depicted by red and white in the image. The effects of El Niño may continue to effect the world's climate system for some time, scientists say.

The cooling trend has scientists uneasy about the onset of a long-lasting La Niña situation. A La Niña situation is essentially the opposite of an El Niño condition, where the trade winds are stronger than normal and the cold water that normally exists along the coast of South America extends to the central equatorial Pacific.

Like El Niño, a La Niña situation also changes global weather patterns, and is associated with less moisture in the air resulting in less rain along the coasts of North and South America.

The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite has measured the sea surface height changes with unprecedented accuracy this year giving scientists a unique insight into the effects and formation of El Niño. Scientists predict the satellite will give equal insight into La Niña.