Introduction
to El Niño & La Niña
El Niño and La
Niña: Nowadays, we are reading some terms like El Niño, La Niña, and the El
Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in Newspapers. These terms are gradually
related to Complicated climate phenomena of global weather patterns and their
effects on various regions. From recent times, we have notice this too pointy
that UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) & other state public service
commission are asking for these terms in their competitive examination.
This is why,
to understanding these crucial complexities of world weather & climate
phenomena and getting simplest understanding of these complicated events, its
become crucial for us to know about these term deeply.
This is why,
in this blog we have added all the related information about El Niño, La Niña,
and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We have also added the related
information about El Nino Effect on Indian monsoon, El Nino modoki & El
Nino effect in this blog. Read this blog completely to get all the information
about El Niño, La Niña, and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
So, let’s
start-
What is El
Niño?
El Niño is a
climate phenomenon. This Phenomenon can be characterized by an periodic warming
of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific
Ocean.
It is one
part of a larger climate system known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation
(ENSO). The warming during El Niño events disrupts typical weather patterns.
These warming leads the changes in precipitation and atmospheric circulation
around the world.
This also
can lead to a range of impacts, including increased rainfall and flooding in
some regions, and drought and wildfires in others. El Niño events typically
occur every two to seven years and can last for several months.
Understand El
Niño more simply
Ummm…. let's
imagine the tropical Pacific Ocean as a giant bathtub. Normally, trade winds (Consistent,
easterly winds that flow in the tropical regions of Earth) blow from east to
west across the ocean, pushing warm water towards the western side near
Australia and Indonesia. This creates a "hill" of warm water in the
western Pacific.
Now, imagine
every few years, a mischievous character named "El Niño" comes along
and turns down the strength of these trade winds. Without these strong winds to
keep the warm water in the west, it starts to slosh back towards the eastern
side, near South America.
As the warm
water spreads, it's like someone has turned on a giant hairdryer over the
central and eastern Pacific, warming up the air above. This warm air can then
influence weather patterns around the world.
In some
places, like the western United States, it can bring lots of rain and help end
droughts. But in other places, like Australia and Indonesia, it can bring dry
conditions and even contribute to wildfires.
So, you can
think of El Niño as a troublemaker that comes along every few years, stirring
up the "bathtub" and changing weather patterns across the globe in
unexpected ways!
Meaning of El
Niño
The term
"El Niño" means "The Little Boy" or "The Christ
Child" in Spanish. It was originally used by fishermen along the coasts of
Ecuador and Peru to refer to a warm ocean current that appeared around
Christmas time.
The
phenomenon was later recognized to be part of a larger, irregularly occurring
event in the tropical Pacific Ocean where warmer than normal sea surface
temperatures disrupt normal weather patterns across the globe.
What is La
Niña?
Somehow, As opposite
of El Niño, La Niña is a climate phenomenon characterized by
cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern
equatorial Pacific Ocean.
It is also a
part of the larger El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system.
La Niña
events are often associated with stronger-than-usual trade winds, which push
warm water towards the western Pacific, causing upwelling of cooler water in
the eastern part. This results in changes to weather patterns across the globe.
Opposite to El
Niño, La Niña can cause to increase the rainfall in some regions, and drought
in others. La Niña events typically occur every two to seven years, similar to
El Niño, and can last for several months.
La Niña
Meaning
The term
"La Niña" means "The Little Girl" in Spanish. It was chosen
as a counterpart to El Niño, which means "The Little Boy" or
"The Christ Child." La Niña refers to the periodic cooling of sea
surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, which
is the opposite phase of the El Niño phenomenon.
What is El
Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?
The El Niño
Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate pattern that occurs in the tropical
Pacific Ocean and involves fluctuations in ocean surface temperatures and
atmospheric pressure. It is the most significant driver of variability in the
Earth's climate on inter-annual timescales.
ENSO has
three phases: El Niño, La Niña, and the neutral phase. Each of these phases has
a distinct set of characteristics and impacts on global weather patterns.
El Niño
This phase
is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central
and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is typically associated with changes
in weather patterns around the world, including increased rainfall and flooding
in some regions and drought in others.
La Niña
This phase
is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central
and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. La Niña events typically have opposite
impacts to El Niño events, causing increased rainfall in some areas and drought
in others.
Neutral
This is the
phase between El Niño and La Niña when sea surface temperatures are near
average. During this phase, weather patterns are generally closer to normal.
ENSO events
typically occur every two to seven years and can last for several months. They
have significant impacts on global climate and weather, including temperature,
precipitation, and storm patterns.
El Niño Vs.
La Niña - El Niño Effects Vs. La Niña Effects
We’ve listed
the 10 effects or differences between both El Niño Vs. La Niña in table below:
|
El Niño - El Niño Effects
|
La Niña - La Niña Effects
|
|
Warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and
eastern Pacific Ocean.
|
Cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and
eastern Pacific Ocean.
|
|
Weaker trade winds across the tropical Pacific.
|
Strengthened trade winds across the tropical Pacific.
|
|
Increased rainfall and flooding in some regions, such as the western
coast of South America.
|
Increased rainfall and flooding in regions like Australia and
Indonesia.
|
|
Drought and wildfires in regions like Australia and Indonesia.
|
Drought in regions such as the western coast of South America.
|
|
Disruption of marine ecosystems and fisheries.
|
Enhancement of marine ecosystems in some areas.
|
|
Reduced Atlantic hurricane activity.
|
Increased Atlantic hurricane activity.
|
|
Altered jet stream patterns leading to milder winters in northern
regions.
|
Altered jet stream patterns leading to colder winters in northern
regions.
|
|
Increased risk of landslides and erosion in regions with heavy
rainfall.
|
Higher likelihood of cyclones in the southwestern Pacific.
|
|
Strain on water resources in areas experiencing drought.
|
Stress on water management systems in regions experiencing heavy
rainfall.
|
|
Damage to crops and agriculture in affected regions.
|
Potential for increased agricultural productivity in certain areas
due to enhanced rainfall.
|
Causes of El
Niño & La Niña
As we added
before that El Niño and La Niña both are the crucial part of the larger El Niño
Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern, and their causes are linked to
interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific.
Causes of El
Niño
1.
Weakening of Trade Winds:
Normally, trade winds blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean, pushing
warm surface waters towards Asia.
2.
Warm Water Movement: The
weakening of the trade winds allows the warm water that was piled up in the
western Pacific to move back towards the east, towards the coast of South
America.
3.
Ocean-Atmosphere Feedback:
The movement of warm water towards the east leads to warming of sea surface
temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. This turn influences the
atmosphere above, creating a feedback loop that reinforces the warming.
4.
Changes in Atmospheric Circulation:
The warming of the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific
affects atmospheric circulation patterns which includes the position of the jet
stream and the strength of the subtropical high-pressure zones.
Causes of La
Niña
1.
Strengthening of Trade Winds:
During La Niña events, the trade winds across the Pacific Ocean are stronger
than usual.
2.
Cool Water Upwelling: The
stronger trade winds push more warm surface water towards Asia, allowing cooler
water from the depths of the ocean to upwell in the central and eastern
Pacific.
3.
Ocean-Atmosphere Feedback:
The upwelling of cooler water in the central and eastern Pacific affects the
atmosphere above.
4.
Changes in Atmospheric Circulation:
Just like in El Niño, the changes in sea surface temperatures in the central
and eastern Pacific during La Niña events influence atmospheric circulation
patterns.
FAQs related
to El Niño & La Niña
Question-1:
What is the effect of El Niño?
Answer.
El Niño typically leads to changes in global weather patterns, causing
phenomena like increased rainfall and flooding in some regions, and drought and
wildfires in others.
Question-2:
What does El Niño mean?
Answer.
El Niño means "The Little Boy" or "The Christ Child" in
Spanish, and refers to the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the
central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Question-3:
How does El Niño affect weather?
Answer.
El Niño influences atmospheric circulation, leading to disruptions in normal
weather patterns, including altered rainfall, temperature, and storm activity
across various regions.
Question-4:
What is La Niño?
Answer.
La Niño is not a recognized climate phenomenon. It appears to be a
miscommunication or misunderstanding of the term La Niña.
Question-5:
What is the relationship between El Niño and La Niña?
Answer.
El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) climate pattern, with El Niño representing warmer-than-average sea
surface temperatures, and La Niña representing cooler-than-average
temperatures.
Question-6:
What is the El Niño phenomenon?
Answer.
The El Niño phenomenon is characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface
temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, leading to
global weather and climate impacts.
Question-7:
What are El Niño years?
Answer.
El Niño years refer to the years when an El Niño event occurs, typically
characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central
and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Question-8:
What is El Niña?
Answer.
El Niña is not a recognized climate term. The correct term for the opposite
phase of El Niño is La Niña, which is characterized by cooler-than-average sea
surface temperatures.
Question-9:
How are La Niña and El Niño related?
Answer.
La Niña and El Niño are opposite phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) climate pattern, affecting global weather patterns in different ways.
Question-10:
How does La Niña affect weather?
Answer.
La Niña typically results in opposite impacts to El Niño, such as increased
rainfall in certain regions and drought in others.
Question-11:
What is El Niño 2022?
Answer.
El Niño 2022 refers to the possibility of an El Niño event occurring in the
year 2022, but the actual occurrence would depend on the evolving climate
conditions.
Question-12:
What is El Niño?
Answer.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea
surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Question-13:
What is El Niño?
Answer.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea
surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Question-14:
What is ENSO?
Answer. ENSO
stands for El Niño Southern Oscillation, a climate pattern involving
fluctuations in ocean surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the
tropical Pacific.
Question-15:
What is the relationship between El Niño, La Niña, and UPSC?
Answer.
UPSC refers to the Union Public Service Commission exams in India, where El
Niño and La Niña are important topics due to their impacts on Indian climate,
agriculture, and economy.
Question-16:
What is El Niño UPSC?
Answer.
El Niño UPSC refers to the topic of El Niño as it pertains to the Union Public
Service Commission exams in India, which often include questions related to its
effects on Indian weather and agriculture.
Question-17:
What is ENSO UPSC?
Answer.
ENSO UPSC refers to the topic of the El Niño Southern Oscillation as it
pertains to the Union Public Service Commission exams in India.
Question-18:
What is El Niño-La Niña UPSC?
Answer.
El Niño-La Niña UPSC refers to the topics of El Niño and La Niña and their
interrelation, as they pertain to the Union Public Service Commission exams in
India.
Question-19:
What is El Niño Modoki?
Answer.
El Niño Modoki refers to a variant of the El Niño phenomenon, called El
Niño Modoki, which has different impacts compared to traditional El Niño
events.
Question-20:
What is the effect of El Niño UPSC?
Answer.
The effect of El Niño UPSC refers to the impact of El Niño events on various
topics covered in the Union Public Service Commission exams in India.
Question-21:
What is the effect of El Niño on the Indian monsoon UPSC?
Answer.
This refers to the specific impact of El Niño events on the Indian monsoon,
which is an important topic for the Union Public Service Commission exams due
to its significance for Indian agriculture and economy.
Question-22:
What is the relationship between La Niña and El Niño UPSC?
Answer.
This refers to the relationship between La Niña and El Niño as it pertains to
the Union Public Service Commission exams in India, highlighting the
contrasting impacts of these phenomena on Indian weather and agriculture.
Question-23:
What is the relationship between El Niño and La Niño UPSC?
Answer.
This appears to be a miscommunication or misunderstanding of the terms. The
correct relationship to explore would be between El Niño and La Niña in the
context of UPSC exams.
Question-24:
What is El Niño-La Niño UPSC?
Answer.
El Niño-La Niño UPSC appears to be a miscommunication or misunderstanding of
the terms. The correct terminology is El Niño and La Niña, which are opposite
phases of the ENSO climate pattern.
Question-25:
What is the difference between El Niño and La Niña UPSC?
Answer.
This refers to the differences in the impacts and characteristics of El Niño
and La Niña events, particularly in the context of Indian weather and
agriculture, as relevant to UPSC exams.
Question-26:
What is the impact of El Niño on the Indian monsoon UPSC?
Answer.
This refers to the specific impacts of El Niño events on the Indian monsoon,
which can lead to drought or deficient rainfall, affecting agriculture and
water resources, and is an important topic for UPSC exams.
Question-27:
What is La Niño UPSC?
Answer.
La Niño seems a miscommunication or misunderstanding of the term. The correct
term is La Niña, which is the cooler phase of the ENSO climate pattern.
Sources:-
- Oceanservice
- bom.gov.au
- climate.gov
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