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Oct 19, 2023 · The Southern Oscillation is a change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific Ocean. When coastal waters become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific (El Niño), the atmospheric pressure above the ocean decreases. Climatologists define these linked phenomena as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Oct 26, 2015 · El Niño is the “warm phase” of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The cool phase, La Niña, is characterized by unusually cool ocean surface currents. El Niño and La Niña can be thought of as the ocean part of ENSO, while the Southern Oscillation can be thought of as the atmospheric part of the phenomenon.
Oct 19, 2023 · La Niña is considered to be the counterpart to El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. Together, La Niña and El Niño are the "cold" (La Niña) and "warm" (El Niño) phases of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
El Nino has an impact on ocean temperatures, the speed and strength of ocean currents, the health of coastal fisheries, and local weather from Australia to South America. El Niño events occur irregularly at two- to seven-year intervals.
Jan 2, 2024 · During El Niño, a weather phenomenon that typically occurs every three to seven years, the Pacific Ocean’s climate changes dramatically. The transition zone between warm surface water and cold deep water deepens.
4 days ago · El Niño is a weather event where the surface water in the Pacific Ocean along the central South American coast rises in temperature. These warmer waters alter storm patterns and are associated with droughts in Indonesia, Australia, and northeastern South America.
Apr 3, 2024 · One example of regular climate change results from the warming of the surface waters of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. This warming is called El Niño —The Child—because it tends to begin around Christmas.
Oct 19, 2023 · From time to time, the Walker circulation and trade winds can strengthen or weaken, which can cause circulation effects to be augmented or even reversed. When the trade winds grow weaker, it is called an El Niño event, and when they grow stronger, it is called a La Niña event.
Oct 19, 2023 · Tsunamis are ocean waves triggered by an earthquake, volcano, or other movement of the ocean floor. Potentially imperceptible in deep water, a tsunami increases in height as it encounters the shallow waters of shore, often leading to extensive wreckage and loss. National Geographic Environment: Tsunami Science.
Jun 25, 2024 · A storm surge is a rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones, intense storms also known as typhoons or hurricanes. The storms produce strong winds that push the water into shore, which can lead to flooding. This makes storm surges very dangerous for coastal regions.
