What is the phenomenon of El Nino?
El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. El Nino is the “warm phase” of a larger phenomenon called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño was recognized by fishers off the coast of Peru as the appearance of unusually warm water.
Why is it called El Nino?
Fishermen off the west coast of South America were the first to notice appearances of unusually warm water that occurred at year’s end. The phenomenon became known as El Niño because of its tendency to occur around Christmas time. El Niño is Spanish for “the boy child” and is named after the baby Jesus.
How is El Nino and La Nina formed?
The development of El Niño events is linked to the trade winds. El Niño occurs when the trade winds are weaker than normal, and La Niña occurs when they are stronger than normal. Since 1997, the Pacific has been in a generally cool phase, during which time strong El Niño events have not been able to form.
What is the difference between El Nino and La Nina weather patterns?
El Niño refers to the above-average sea-surface temperatures that periodically develop across the east-central equatorial Pacific. It represents the warm phase of the ENSO cycle. La Niña refers to the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific.
What is the opposite of La Nina?
El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of a natural climate pattern across the tropical Pacific Ocean that swings back and forth every 3-7 years on average. Together, they are called ENSO (pronounced “en-so”), which is short for El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
What is the meaning of La Nina?
Little Girl
What are the effect of La Nina?
One important global impact of La Niña is its effect on the Atlantic hurricane season. La Niña reduces wind shear—the change in winds between the surface and the upper levels of the atmosphere—allowing hurricanes to grow.
What is the impacts of La Niña?
The effects of La Niña are experienced globally. With catastrophic floods, hurricanes and cyclones in countries on the western part of the Pacific and, on the other hand, bushfires and droughts along the west coast of the USA and East Africa, farms are adversely affected, and crops can be produced as expected.
Is 2020 a strong La Nina?
2020 stands out, following a winter where tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures were slightly warm, but not quite El Niño.
What are the causes of La Nina?
La Niña is caused by a build-up of cooler-than-normal waters in the tropical Pacific, the area of the Pacific Ocean between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Unusually strong, eastward-moving trade winds and ocean currents bring this cold water to the surface, a process known as upwelling.
How does La Nina affect the economy?
When these changes are more intense, they can have pervasive social and economic implications and visible impacts on the environment. For instance, severe droughts or floods caused by La Niña tend to reduce crop yields and increase food prices.
How does El Nino affect ecosystems?
Ecosystems and human communities can be positively or negatively affected. For example, in the Southern United States, during the fall through spring, El Niño usually causes increased rainfall and sometimes destructive flooding. Changes in ocean temperatures and currents that happen during El Niño impact marine life.
Where does El Niño happen?
Pacific Ocean
What is the relationship between El Nino and drought?
One such phenomenon is the periodic occurrence of El Niño. During El Niño episodes the normal patterns of tropical precipitation and atmospheric circulation are disrupted, hence triggering extreme climate events around the globe: droughts, floods and affecting the intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
How is El Nino monitored?
ENSO conditions are monitored by analysing Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs), low level winds, cloudiness (using outgoing longwave radiation), and sub-surface temperatures. Special attention is given to SSTs, as they are one of the key indicators used to monitor ENSO.
How can we reduce the effects of El Niño?
Here are a few suggestions to help you protect your property from the damaging effects of El Niño.
- Evaluate your Property.
- Protect Against Soil Erosion.
- Use Sustainable Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees.
- Keep a Watchful Eye on Your Trees.
- Keep Storm Drains Clear.
- Maintain Parking Lots and Walkways.