During an El Niño event,
the easterly trade winds converging across the equatorial Pacific
weaken. This in turn slows the ocean current that draws surface water away from the western coast of South America and reduces the upwelling of cold, nutrient–rich water from the deeper ocean, flattening out the thermocline.
Which winds affect El Niño?
The El Niño signal is evident in the
eastward-blowing winds in the tropical western and central Pacific
. Winds near the equator (5° North to 5° South) blew more forcefully from west to east in the western and central Pacific; meanwhile, the easterly (east to west) trade winds weakened near the Americas.
Do winds weaken in El Niño?
During an El Niño event,
westward-blowing trade winds weaken along the Equator
. These changes in air pressure and wind speed cause warm surface water to move eastward along the Equator, from the western Pacific to the coast of northern South America. … Convection above warmer surface waters bring increased precipitation.
What wind pattern is diminished during El Niño conditions?
During El Niño
Meanwhile,
the trade winds
(that typically blow along the equator from the east-to-west) weaken because they normally blow from areas of sinking motion to areas of rising motion–now those areas are reduced relative to the normal state. El Niño feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere.
Does El Niño have strong or weak trade winds?
El Niño (EN) is characterized by a
large scale weakening of the trade winds
and warming of the surface layers in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean.
What are 2 effects of El Niño?
Severe drought and associated food insecurity, flooding, rains, and temperature rises
due to El Niño are causing a wide range of health problems, including disease outbreaks, malnutrition, heat stress and respiratory diseases.
How can we reduce the effects of El Niño?
- Evaluate your Property.
- Protect Against Soil Erosion.
- Use Sustainable Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees.
- Keep a Watchful Eye on Your Trees.
- Keep Storm Drains Clear.
- Maintain Parking Lots and Walkways.
How long do El Ninos last?
El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last
9-12 months
. They both tend to develop during the spring (March-June), reach peak intensity during the late autumn or winter (November-February), and then weaken during the spring or early summer (March-June).
What causes El Niño?
An El Niño condition occurs
when surface water in the equatorial Pacific becomes warmer than average and east winds blow weaker than normal
. … During this phase of ENSO, the water is cooler than normal and the east winds are stronger. El Niños typically occur every 3 to 5 years.
Why trade winds get weaker?
The easterly trade winds are driven by a surface pressure pattern of higher pressure in the eastern Pacific and lower pressure in the west.
When this pressure gradient weakens
, so do the trade winds. The weakened trade winds allow warmer water from the western Pacific to surge eastward, so the sea level flattens out.
What are La Niña conditions?
The Short Answer: La Niña is
a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean
. In this pattern, strong winds blow warm water at the ocean’s surface from South America to Indonesia. As the warm water moves west, cold water from the deep rises to the surface near the coast of South America.
What is the meaning of El Niño?
El Niño is
a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
. El Nino is the “warm phase” of a larger phenomenon called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Is La Niña wet or dry?
Where El Niño is wet,
La Niña is dry
. While El Niño conditions and their seasonal impacts look very different from normal, La Niña conditions often bring winters that are typical — only more so.
How does El Niño affect trade winds?
During an El Niño event, the easterly trade winds
converging across the equatorial Pacific weaken
. This in turn slows the ocean current that draws surface water away from the western coast of South America and reduces the upwelling of cold, nutrient–rich water from the deeper ocean, flattening out the thermocline.
What are the impacts of El Niño across the world?
A strong El Niño event has been taking place this year. People in Arizona generally welcome the wetter winters brought by El Niño, but in other parts of the world, El Niño can mean
droughts, floods, crop failures, and looming food shortages
.
Does La Niña mean more rain?
Globally, La Niña
often brings heavy rainfall to
Indonesia, the Philippines, northern Australia and southern Africa. … During La Niña, waters off the Pacific coast are colder and contain more nutrients than usual.
