Scientists have been baffled by the dropping temperature in a large part of the Atlantic Ocean, which is near the equator.&nbsp;

Even though this cold area has now started warming up, scientists are clueless about what led to the dramatic cooling.

The cold patch of the Atlantic Ocean, which is between the stretch of ocean which spans several degrees north and south of the equator, was formed in early June after remaining the warmest for months&nbsp;in more than 40 years.&nbsp;

Speaking to Live Science, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Miami in Florida, Franz Tuchen, said that it is known that the region has been swinging between cold and warm phases in the last few years, however, the rate at which it moved from record high to low is "really unprecedented".

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-registers-record-high-winter-temperature-753485">Australia registers record high winter temperature</a>

"We are still scratching our heads as to what's actually happening," said Michael McPhaden, who is a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is overseeing an array of buoys in the tropics which gave gathered real-time data related to the cold patch, while speaking to Live Science.&nbsp;

"It could be some transient feature that has developed from processes that we don't quite understand," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>Here's how temperatures dramatically changed on the sea surface</h2>

In the eastern equatorial Atlantic, the sea surface temperatures were the highest in February and March when they went beyond 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and those months became the warmest on record since 1982.&nbsp;

In June, the temperatures began falling mysteriously and it became the coolest in late July when the temperature reached 77 F (25 C), wrote Tuchen recently in a&nbsp;blog post.

Watch:&nbsp;Spain: Extreme heat warning issued for Basque country and Cantabria

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/spain-extreme-heat-warning-issued-for-basque-country-and-cantabria-749377/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the forecasts, the cooling event appeared to be on the verge of becoming an Atlantic Niña, which is a regional climate pattern that tends to increase rainfall across western Africa. In his climate pattern, the rainfall decreases in northeastern Brazil along with other countries near the Gulf of Guinea, like Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.&nbsp;

This phenomenon has not occurred since 2013, and the scientists would have declared that there is Atlantic Niña if colder temperatures had persisted till the end of August.

In recent weeks, the cold pocket of water has warmed up so "the verdict is already quite certain that it's not gonna be classified as Atlantic Niña," Tuchen said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have been baffled by the dropping temperature in a large part of the Atlantic Ocean, which is near the equator. Even though this cold area has now started warming up, scientists are clueless about what led to the dramatic cooling.

Scientists have been baffled by the dropping temperature in a large part of the Atlantic Ocean, which is near the equator. Even though this cold area has now started warming up, scientists are clueless about what led to the dramatic cooling. The cold patch of the Atlantic Ocean, which is between the stretch of ocean which spans several degrees north and south of the equator, was formed in early June after remaining the warmest for months in more than 40 years. Speaking to Live Science, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Miami in Florida, Franz Tuchen, said that it is known that the region has been swinging between cold and warm phases in the last few years, however, the rate at which it moved from record high to low is "really unprecedented". Also Read: Australia registers record high winter temperature "We are still scratching our heads as to what's actually happening," said Michael McPhaden, who is a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is overseeing an array of buoys in the tropics which gave gathered real-time data related to the cold patch, while speaking to Live Science. "It could be some transient feature that has developed from processes that we don't quite understand," he added. Here's how temperatures dramatically changed on the sea surface In the eastern equatorial Atlantic, the sea surface temperatures were the highest in February and March when they went beyond 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and those months became the warmest on record since 1982. In June, the temperatures began falling mysteriously and it became the coolest in late July when the temperature reached 77 F (25 C), wrote Tuchen recently in a blog post. Watch: Spain: Extreme heat warning issued for Basque country and Cantabria In the forecasts, the cooling event appeared to be on the verge of becoming an Atlantic Niña, which is a regional climate pattern that tends to increase rainfall across western Africa. In his climate pattern, the rainfall decreases in northeastern Brazil along with other countries near the Gulf of Guinea, like Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. This phenomenon has not occurred since 2013, and the scientists would have declared that there is Atlantic Niña if colder temperatures had persisted till the end of August. In recent weeks, the cold pocket of water has warmed up so "the verdict is already quite certain that it's not gonna be classified as Atlantic Niña," Tuchen said. (With inputs from agencies)

Temperature dramatically fell in Atlantic Ocean's patch near the equator. Scientists warn...

Using artificial intelligence, scientists have confirmed that birds are more colourful near the equator.

According to the study's author Christopher Cooney, ''We found that colourfulness was highest in birds from dense, closed forest habitats.''&nbsp;

"In vibrant rainforests, having colours that stand out from the crowd may help tropical species to distinguish themselves from others", he added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-birds-eye-view-of-the-bastille-day-celebrations-236996/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, has confirmed previous suspicions that colour patterns of animals vary as per their latitude.</div>

The researchers have proved a theory proposed by biologists Charles Darwin, Alexander von Humboldt, and Alfred Russel Wallace in 1850.

After comparing the flora and fauna of northern Europe with the tropical region, they were all stunned.

As per German naturalist Humboldt, "The nearer we approach the tropics, the greater the increase in the variety of structure, grace of form, and a mixture of colours, as also in perpetual youth and vigour of organic life."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-shows-several-bird-species-nesting-and-laying-eggs-almost-a-month-early-465532" hreflang="en">Study shows several bird species nesting and laying eggs almost a month early</a>

To confirm the previous theory, researchers at the University of Sheffield studied more than 4,500 species of passerine birds. These included songbirds such as wrens, sparrows and blackbirds across the globe.

They used artificial intelligence to extract data from the pixels of three photographs taken from the collection of the Natural History Museum in Tring, Britain.

During their analysis, they identified the colour at 1,500 different parts of the plumage of each adult bird and ranked them on the level of intensity of the colour.

As the birds came closer to the equator their colour became brighter. While if they went farther it became duller due to the "luxuriant vegetation of the tropics."

This acted as a natural camouflage for the birds all year round. Meanwhile, the birds in the north had to adapt their plumage to handle bare trees every winter.

(With inputs from agencies)

Using artificial intelligence, scientists have confirmed that birds are more colourful near the equator. According to the study's author Christopher Cooney, ''We found that colourfulness was highest in birds from dense, closed forest habitats.

Using artificial intelligence, scientists have confirmed that birds are more colourful near the equator. According to the study's author Christopher Cooney, ''We found that colourfulness was highest in birds from dense, closed forest habitats.'' "In vibrant rainforests, having colours that stand out from the crowd may help tropical species to distinguish themselves from others", he added. The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, has confirmed previous suspicions that colour patterns of animals vary as per their latitude. The researchers have proved a theory proposed by biologists Charles Darwin, Alexander von Humboldt, and Alfred Russel Wallace in 1850. After comparing the flora and fauna of northern Europe with the tropical region, they were all stunned. As per German naturalist Humboldt, "The nearer we approach the tropics, the greater the increase in the variety of structure, grace of form, and a mixture of colours, as also in perpetual youth and vigour of organic life." Also read | Study shows several bird species nesting and laying eggs almost a month early To confirm the previous theory, researchers at the University of Sheffield studied more than 4,500 species of passerine birds. These included songbirds such as wrens, sparrows and blackbirds across the globe. They used artificial intelligence to extract data from the pixels of three photographs taken from the collection of the Natural History Museum in Tring, Britain. During their analysis, they identified the colour at 1,500 different parts of the plumage of each adult bird and ranked them on the level of intensity of the colour. As the birds came closer to the equator their colour became brighter. While if they went farther it became duller due to the "luxuriant vegetation of the tropics." This acted as a natural camouflage for the birds all year round. Meanwhile, the birds in the north had to adapt their plumage to handle bare trees every winter. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists use artificial intelligence to confirm that birds are more colourful near equator

Fires in Brazil's Amazon for the month of August hit a nine-year high in 2019 and this month so far looks even worse.

Amazon rainforest continues to burn | Aerial video reveals scale of damage | Brazil

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