el Nino is a weather phenomenon caused when warm water from the western Pacific Ocean flows

eastward. In this lesson, we'll see how the effects of El Nino can be noticed in many parts of the world,
with different regions experiencing varying weather anomalies.

Definition of El Niño

When we notice different weather patterns, we usually think of what's in the air. But did you
know that a lot of what happens in the air is because of the temperature of the oceans? El Niño is
an abnormal weather pattern caused by the warming of the Pacific Ocean near the equator, off
the coast of South America. The sun warms the water near the equator, which can make more
clouds and, therefore, more rain. However, normally there are trade winds, which blow that
warm water west. During El Niño, though, those trade winds weaken, or even reverse, which lets
the warm water that is usually found in the western Pacific remain or flow east. This warm water
displaces the cooler water that is normally found near the surface of the eastern Pacific, setting
off atmospheric changes that affect weather patterns in many parts of the world.

A temperature increase of least 0.9 F (0.5 C) needs to occur in the waters of the eastern Pacific
Ocean near the equator for it to be considered an El Niño year. Although El Niño does not occur
in a perfectly regular pattern, it seems to happen every 2 to 7 years. Following an El Niño, an
opposite phenomenon occurs, called La Niña. During La Niña, the eastern Pacific Ocean
experiences cooler than normal temperatures around the equator.

The effects of El Niño are strong and can wreak havoc on weather systems around the world.
The changes vary drastically around the globe.

Storm Effects

Along the Pacific coast of the Americas, El Niño can cause severe storms and flooding. Peru and
Ecuador usually receive the brunt of the force of El Niño. During the months of April - October,
this area experiences increased rain fall. El Niño's effects are not only felt through rain. In
normal years, along the coast of Peru, cool, nutrient-rich water is pushed up from the deep waters
off the Pacific coast, and this nutrient-rich water is a food source for marine life. However,
during an El Niño year, this cold water is replaced by warmer water that lacks those important
nutrients. The nutrient-deficient water starves the bottom of the food chain and the effects cause
a die-off of larger fish.

El Niño is not all bad in the Americas, though. Away from the Pacific coast, North America
actually tends to have milder winters during El Niño years, and

El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of what is known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) cycle. The ENSO cycle is a scientific term that describes the fluctuations in temperature
between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific (approximately between
the International Date Line and 120 degrees West).
La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of
ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale impacts not only
on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate.

El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last nine to 12 months, but some prolonged events may
last for years. While their frequency can be quite irregular, El Niño and La Niña events occur on
average every two to seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs more frequently than La Niña.

El Niño

El Niño means The Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish. El Niño was originally recognized by
fishermen off the coast of South America in the 1600s, with the appearance of unusually warm
water in the Pacific Ocean. The name was chosen based on the time of year (around December)
during which these warm waters events tended to occur.

The term El Niño refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a
periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial
Pacific.

Typical El Niño effects are likely to develop over North America during the upcoming winter
season. Those include warmer-than-average temperatures over western and central Canada, and
over the western and northern United States. Wetter-than-average conditions are likely over
portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida, while drier-than-average conditions can be expected
in the Ohio Valley and the Pacific Northwest. The presence of El Niño can significantly
influence weather patterns, ocean conditions, and marine fisheries across large portions of the
globe for an extended period of time.

La Niña

La Niña means The Little Girl in Spanish. La Niña is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El
Niño, or simply "a cold event."

La Niña episodes represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-
central Equatorial Pacific. Global climate La Niña impacts tend to be opposite those of El Niño
impacts. In the tropics, ocean temperature variations in La Niña also tend to be opposite those of
El Niño.

During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler
than normal in the Northwest.