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El Niño is a disruption of the ocean- atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate around the globe. El Niño - “The Christ Child”
El Niño is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate around the globe.
El Niño - “The Christ Child”
Normal Conditions• Wind blows from east to
west (right to left)• Pushes water to western
Pacific• Causes LOTS of rain
(monsoons & snow in Himalaya Mts.)
• Water flows along bottom & up at South America
The Normal Pacific
Normal Conditions
Note the change in wind and ocean currents during El Niño
El Niño
El Niño
• Trade winds push warm ocean water west, cool water rises behind it
• Trade winds ease and switch directions, warmest water moves east
• Earth’s warmest ocean water in the far western Pacific energizes huge thunderstorms
• Warm water, thunderstorms move eastward
• Thunderstorms disrupt jet stream patterns
Normal Ocean Thermocline
El Niño Thermocline
The Effects of El Niño
El Niño Conditions
• Water warms • Winds weaken• Upwelling stops• Climate changes• We do not know why this happens
