Impact of the 2023-2024 El Niño event on Ecuador’s insular region: rainfall response in the Galápagos Islands
Synopsis
This study documents the presence and evolution of the 2023-2024 El Niño event in Ecuador’s insular region based on precipitation data from meteorological stations M0221 (San Cristóbal - Galápagos), M0191 (Baltra), and M1236 (San Cristóbal - Airport), all operated by INAMHI. Conventional and automatic observations are integrated with spectral analysis using the wavelet transform and historical series dating back to 1964. The results show anomalous rainfall behavior at all stations, with monthly totals significantly exceeding the normal climatology (1981-2010) during the first quarter of 2024, reaching maxima of 282 mm in February and 267.7 mm in March. From May onward, a transition toward drier conditions is observed, coinciding with the weakening of the ENSO signal. Spectral analysis reveals a significant signal in the 2-8-year band, consistent with variability associated with ENSO. This work contributes to the regional characterization of ENSO in the eastern Pacific and underscores the importance of strengthening climate monitoring in the Galápagos, a strategic yet sparsely studied region due to its isolated geographic setting on the Equator. The findings are relevant for improving understanding of ENSO impacts in South America and for bolstering early warning systems in sensitive areas of the South Pacific.
Published
April 3, 2026
Categories
Copyright (c) 2026 Zulay Marina Niño Ruiz, Laura Inés Salazar Cotugno (Coordinador de obra); Patricia Yissel Dávalos Cerrón, Azucena Chanatasig, Felipe Cerrera, Andrea Carolina Palacios Rosado, Mateo Patricio Sánchez Sanaguano, Liliana Paulina Lalaleo Córdova, William Calero Cáceres, Santiago Casado, Joshua Pazmiño, Jaime Martí-Herrero, Rocio Cecibel Jiménez Paute, Kevin Campaña, Elena Coyago-Cruz, Andrea Hidalgo-Dávila, Lizbeth Alpusig-Guanoluisa, Belén Apolo, Felipe Rivera-Rueda, Yerovi Sánchez-Arias, Karen Marcella García, Rubianith Suárez, Harol Smith Daza, Geovanna Tafurt, Duverney de Jesús Chaverra, Edita Valle, Evelyn Oña, Mishel Calero, Jonathan Liria, Andrés Sebastian Calderón Velasco, Roque Rivas-Párraga, Inti Llumiquinga, Ana Bravo, Julio Rea, Máximo Moreira, Oscar Vivanco, Nicole Jara, Lilibeth Carrión, Stefanía Cevallos, Paulo Herrera, Esteban Patricio Romero Valladares, Ana Paula Rosero-Jácome, Eliza Jara-Negrete, Gabriel Picón Nava, Nelly Paredes, Wilfredo Ramiro Franco, Wilmer Shiguango, Willin Álvarez, Juan Ponce, Jessica Sánchez, Christian Israel Andrade Romero, Alexandra Vargas, David Sanchez, Negover Briñez, Byron García, Dennis Tomalá, Mery Ramirez, Jenny Rodríguez, Paúl Tufiño Mateus, Enrique Laaz, Willan Revelo, Cecilia Puertas, Juan Andrés Guadamud, Karina Olalla-Tacuri , Darwin Omar Yánez Avalos, Diana Callejas, Sara Álvarez, John Mauricio Castillo Torres, Edith Pamela Tapia Pruna, Daniela Endara, Carolina Castro, Silvia Alejandra Llerena Gordillo, Kevin Stwart Tulcanaza Ruiz, Noroska G.S. Mogollón, Melany Ochoa, María Cristina Peñuela, Jimmy Yumbo, Enith Yánez, Carolina Ñacato, Samira Lluno, Henry Conteron, Pedro Cadena, Corina Campos, Oswaldo Guzman, Micaela Campos, Cindy Vera, Dayana Vera, Christian Coral, Bruce Tumbaco, María Soledad Solorzano, Bryan Valencia, José Sebastián Araujo Soria, Sandra Torres, Enzo Loor, Oscar Ayala, Darwin Rosero, Amparo Condor, Luis Cáceres, Miguel Flores, Elena Ulcuango, Nicole Pilco, David Galarza, Mishell Cabrera, Julieth Chancay, Paola Soto, David Portillo, Diana Cisneros, José Aguirre-Déleg, Pablo Maita-Zambrano, Aimee Delgado-Cruz, Myrian Larco, María Soledad Salazar, María Susana Grijalva, Viviana Stefanía Cárdenas Loor, Mónica Dazzini Langdon, Sheila Tobar Vallejo, Vinicio Velásquez Zambrano, Juan Carlos Soria Aguas (Autor de capítulo)
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Impact of the 2023-2024 El Niño event on Ecuador’s insular region: rainfall response in the Galápagos Islands. (2026). In III International Congress of Biotechnology and Neotropical Ecosystems. Editorial Unión Científica. https://doi.org/10.63804/CIBEN.25.cter.e6
