El Niño La Niña Flashcards
Cause of El Niño
Caused by weak winds and unusually warm currents in tropical latitudes allowing warm water buildup in East Pacific
What happens during El Niño
Reduction in upwelling, less nutrients to oceanic food chain
Complete reversal of normal Pacific Ocean trade-wind pattern and corresponding gyres
Water surges eastward
Increased rainfall (low pressure) in north, central, and South America while drier (high pressure) conditions in north Australia, Indonesia, Philippines
El Niño climate effects
Forest fires caused by dry climates
Floods caused by increased rainfall
Fewer nutrients provided to food chains base animals, breaking food chain
El Niño effects on humans
Less productive fishery
Dry weather causes droughts and famine while floods wipe out crops
Natural distasters
La Niña cause
build-up of cooler-than-normal waters in the tropical Pacific
What happens during La Niña
Amplified version of normal conditions
Extreme rain in western pacific and extreme dryness plus Too much upwelling in America’s
Trade winds blow East to West
Lots of Australian rainfall
La Niña climate effects
More upwelling causes too much life and overdose of nutrients
Extreme pacific rains caused increased hurricanes
Normal conditions
Trade winds blow from east to west
Upwelling on eastern pacific near south americas caused by Peruvian current
Western pacific has warm humid air while Eastern pacific is dry
Currents move away from where they came
High pressure to low pressure
Lots of Australian rain
