<P> Aerodynamic theory indicates that an island wind wake effect should dissipate within a few hundred kilometers and not be felt in the western Pacific . However, the wind wake caused by the Hawaiian Islands extends 1,860 miles (3,000 km), roughly 10 times longer than any other wake . The long wake testifies to the strong interaction between the atmosphere and ocean, which has strong implications for global climate research . It is also important for understanding natural climate variations, like El Niño . </P> <P> There are number of reasons why this has been observed only in Hawaii . First, the ocean reacts slowly to fast - changing winds; winds must be steady to exert force on the ocean, such as the trade winds . Second, the high mountain topography provides a significant disturbance to the winds . Third, the Hawaiian Islands are large in horizontal (east - west) scale, extending over four degrees in longitude . It is this active interaction between wind, ocean current, and temperature that creates this uniquely long wake west of Hawaii . </P> <P> The wind wake drives an eastward "counter current" that brings warm water 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from the Asian coast . This warm water drives further changes in wind, allowing the island effect to extend far into the western Pacific . The counter current had been observed by oceanographers near the Hawaiian Islands years before the long wake was discovered, but they did not know what caused it . </P>

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