14 Mar 98 - In March, the warm pool - shown as white and red - was vastly reduced from its extent in February. In early March, sea surface height along the central equatorial Pacific had returned to a near normal state. Remnants of the warm water pool were situated to the north and south of the equator. Oceanographers indicate this is a classic pattern, typical of a mature El Niño condition that they would expect to see during the ocean's gradual transition back to normal sea level