El Nino & La Nina

Question 1

What are the normal conditions over the Pacific ocean?

Answer 1

WALKER LOOP -
The South Pacific current means that water is cold at SA. This creates high pressure due to sinking air and therefore dry conditions = deserts
Water is warm by Australia and water evaporates so air rises - low pressure - rain = rainforests

Question 2

What is La Nina?

Answer 2

A strengthening of the Walker loop - intensifies rain in Aussie and dryness in SA

Question 3

What is El Nino?

Answer 3

A reversal and weakening of the Walker loop - SA experiences floods and Aussie experiences droughts

Question 4

Effects of La Nina 2011 in Australia

Answer 4

200000 people affected
Intense flooding - houses filled with mud
1000 people evacuated
Airports flooded
Increase of snakes and poisonous spiders
Billions in damage

Question 5

Effects of La Nina on 3 other places

Answer 5

China - strong typhoon, 100000 people flee
LA - recieved half its annual rain in 6 days
New York - 5000 flights cancelled

Question 6

Positive effects of El Nino 2014-2016

Answer 6

Pacific Islands - Tuna school migrated, leading to 700000 tonnes of catch, brought in $15000 per day
Kiribati - earned $109 million from fishing in 2015 BUT lost 90% of their coral due to bleaching

Question 7

Negative effects of El Nino 2014-2016

Answer 7

SA - 6*C higher than usual