La Nina - Pacific temperature cooler than normal
- Last 9-12 months
- The Pacific Ocean drops 3-5 degrees
- Reoccurs every 3-7 years
- Cause by a decrease in ocean temp and increase in trade wind strength
- The westward wind gets stronger
- Allowing low cooler water to surface toward South America
- Cloud build up in Southeast Asia
- The wet period in the middle eastern U.S
- Drought in South-eastern U.S
- Flood in Australia
- Brings nutrients to the South American coast
- Cooler and snowier Canadian winter
- Up welling of cool water
| El Nino - Warm ocean current flow along the equator
- Occur every 4-7 years
- Trade wind weakens during El Nino
- Water flows downhill to the east
- Less warm air rises in the west
- As a result, less wind is created
- Wind can no longer push warm water from the coast of South America
- Warm water pushes cooler, unwilling water
- No upwelling
to fertilize phytoplankton El Niño produces a lot of evaporation More cloud build-up |
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El Nino: ExplanationTypically, the level of ocean water around the world is higher in the western Pacific…
Author: William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)
https://schoolworkhelper.net/ Tutor and Freelance Writer. Science Teacher and Lover of Essays. Article last reviewed: 2020 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2021 | Creative Commons 4.0
