In conflict with conventional theory, recent analysis of data from a high-resolution global ocean model showed that the North Equatorial Counter Current was responsible for the unusually warm water which triggered the strong El Niños of 1982–83 and 1997–98. In this paper some of the key physics deduced from the model results are tested against satellite data from the 1997–98 event. The results show that the model closely followed reality during the period, further supporting the new mechanisms.