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!"APTE# $% &ntro'(ction to the At)osphere

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El Nino- La Nina an' the So(thern Oscillation

El Nino is the name given to the occasional development of warm ocean surface waters along the coast of Ecuador and Peru. When this warming occurs the usual upwelling of cold, nutrient rich deep ocean water is significantly reduced. El Nino normally occurs around Christmas and usually lasts for a few weeks to a few months. Sometimes an extremely warm event can develop that lasts for much longer time periods. n the !""#s, strong El Ninos developed in !""! and lasted until !""$, and from fall !""% to spring !""&. 'he formation of an El Nino is linked with the cycling of a Pacific (cean circulation pattern known as the southern oscillation. n a normal year, a surface low pressure develops in the region of northern )ustralia and ndonesia and a high pressure system over the coast of Peru *see +igure %,-! .elow/. )s a result, the trade winds over the Pacific (cean move strongly from east to west. 'he easterly flow of the trade winds carries warm surface waters westward, .ringing convective storms to ndonesia and coastal )ustralia. )long the coast of Peru, cold .ottom water wells up to the surface to replace the warm water that is pulled to the west.

Fig(re $+./% This cross.section o0 the Paci0ic Ocean- along the e1(ator- ill(strates the pattern o0 at)ospheric circ(lation typically 0o(n' at the e1(atorial Paci0ic. Note the position o0 the ther)ocline. n an El Nino year, air pressure drops over large areas of the central Pacific and along the coast of South )merica *see +igure %,-0 .elow/. 'he normal low pressure system is replaced .y a weak high in the western Pacific *the southern oscillation/. 'his change in pressure pattern causes the trade winds to .e reduced. 'his reduction allows the e1uatorial counter current *which flows west

to east - see ocean currents map in topic &1/ to accumulate warm ocean water along the coastlines of Peru and Ecuador *+igure %,-2/. 'his accumulation of warm water causes the thermocline to drop in the eastern part of Pacific (cean which cuts off the upwelling of cold deep ocean water along the coast of Peru. Climatically, the development of an El Nino .rings drought to the western Pacific, rains to the e1uatorial coast of South )merica, and convective storms and hurricanes to the central Pacific.

Fig(re $+.2% This cross.section o0 the Paci0ic Ocean- along the e1(ator- ill(strates the pattern o0 at)ospheric circ(lation that ca(ses the 0or)ation o0 the El Nino. Note ho3 position o0 the ther)ocline has change' 0ro) Fig(re $+./.

Fig(re $+.4% NASA5s TOPE67Posei'on satellite is 8eing (se' to )onitor the presence o0 El Nino. Sensors on the satellite )eas(re the height o0 the Paci0ic Ocean. The scale 8elo3 'escri8es the relationship 8et3een i)age color an' the relati9e s(r0ace height o0 the ocean. &n the i)age a8o9e- 3e can see the presence o0 a strong El Nino e9ent in the eastern Paci0ic *Octo8er- /::$,. The presence o0 the El Nino ca(ses the height o0 the ocean along the

e1(ator to increase 0ro) the )i''le o0 the i)age to the coastline o0 !entral an' So(th A)erica. *So(rce% NASA . TOPE67Posei'on,.

)fter an El Nino event weather conditions usually return .ack to normal. 3owever, in some years the trade winds can .ecome extremely strong and an a.normal accumulation of cold water can occur in the central and eastern Pacific *+igure %,-4/. 'his event is called a 5a Nina. ) strong 5a Nina occurred in !"&& and scientists .elieve that it may have .een responsi.le for the summer drought over central North )merica. 'he most recent 5a Nina .egan developing in the middle of !""& and was persistent into the winter of 0###. 6uring this period, the )tlantic (cean has seen very active hurricane seasons in !""& and !""". n !""&, ten tropical storm developed of which six .ecome full-.lown hurricanes. (ne of the hurricanes that developed, named 7itch, was the strongest (cto.er hurricane ever to develop in a.out !## years of record keeping. Some of the other weather effects of 5a Nina include a.normally heavy monsoons in ndia and Southeast )sia, cool and wet winter weather in southeastern )frica, wet weather in eastern )ustralia, cold winter in western Canada and northwestern 8nited States, winter drought in the southern 8nited States, warm and wet weather in northeastern 8nited States, and an extremely wet winter in southwestern Canada and northwestern 8nited States.

Fig(re $+.;% TOPE67Posei'on satellite i)age o0 a )o'erate La Nina con'ition *<an(ary2===,. The scale 8elo3 'escri8es the relationship 8et3een i)age color an' the relati9e s(r0ace height o0 the ocean. The presence o0 the La Nina ca(ses the height o0 the ocean either si'e o0 the e1(ator to 'ecrease 0ro) the )i''le o0 the i)age to the coastline o0 North!entral- an' So(th A)erica. *So(rce% NASA . TOPE67Posei'on,.

Prior to the !"&#s and !""#s, strong El Nino events occurred on average every !# to 0# years. n the early !"&#s, the first of a series of strong events developed. 'he El Nino of !"&0-&2 .rought extreme warming to the e1uatorial Pacific. Surface sea temperatures in some regions of the Pacific (cean rose 9: Celsius a.ove normal. 'he warmer waters had a devastating effect on marine life existing off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. +ish catches off the coast of South )merica were $#; lower than the previous year. 'he !"&0-&2 El Nino also had a pronounced influence on weather in the e1uatorial Pacific region and world wide. Severe droughts occurred in )ustralia, ndonesia, ndia and southern )frica. 6ry conditions in )ustralia resulted in a 0 .illion dollar loss in crops, and millions of sheep and cattle died from lack of water. 3eavy rains were experienced in California, Ecuador, and the <ulf of 7exico.

(ur understanding of the processes responsi.le for the development of El Nino is still incomplete. Scientists are a.le to predict the future development of an event .y noting the occurrence of particular weather precursors. =esearchers also now have a pretty complete understanding of the glo.al weather effects caused .y the formation of an El Nino *see +igure %,-$/.

Fig(re $+.>% Glo8al cli)atological e00ects o0 the El Nino.