All Flashcards
What is ENSO?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation: a climate pattern involving changes in sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is El Niño?
A warming of the Pacific Ocean surface waters between South America and Papua New Guinea, disrupting normal weather patterns.
What is La Niña?
A cooling of the Pacific Ocean surface waters in the same region where El Niño occurs.
What is the thermocline?
The layer in the ocean where a sharp temperature drop occurs.
What is upwelling?
The process where colder, deeper water rises to the surface.
What is ENSO?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation: a climate pattern with El Niño and La Niña phases.
Define El Niño.
Significant warming of Pacific Ocean surface waters between South America and Papua New Guinea.
Define La Niña.
Cooling of Pacific Ocean surface waters in the same region as El Niño.
What is the thermocline?
Layer in the ocean where a sharp temperature drop occurs.
Define upwelling.
Process where colder, deeper water rises to the surface.
What are the steps of El Niño development?
- Trade winds weaken or reverse. 2. Warm water shifts eastward. 3. Thermocline deepens.
What are the steps of La Niña development?
- Trade winds strengthen. 2. Warm water shifts westward. 3. Upwelling increases; thermocline rises.