Variability of Near-Equatorial Lower Tropospheric Flow Over the East Pacific Cold Tongue

High-resolution UHF profiler observations of lower tropospheric winds at San Cristóbal in Ecuador's Galápagos Islands have been collected and analyzed. The dates for which data are available include much of the 1997-98 El Niño and the subsequent La Niña. A detailed picture of the lower troposphere's annual cycle over this portion of the East Pacific cold tongue and its interaction with the larger-scale ocean-atmosphere environment will be presented, together with a look at the dramatic changes in the flow over the cold tongue during the 97-98 warm event. The Galápagos profiler soundings will also be compared to numerous balloon soundings collected during ship transects along 95°W.