Contents

Introduction
What is El Nio ?
What is La Nia ?
El Nio and La Nia Years
Recent Event (1997-1998 Event)
Todays El Nio and La Nia information
What are typical global climate effects?
Various impacts of El Nio and La Nia
Forecasts, Detection and Prediction

Conclusion

El Nio refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere

climate phenomenon linked to a periodic warming in
sea-surface temperatures across the central and eastcentral equatorial Pacific. El Nio originally referred to
an annual warming of sea-surface temperatures along
the west coast of tropical South America.

La Nia refers to the periodic cooling of ocean

surface temperatures in the central and east-central
equatorial Pacific. La Nia originally referred to an
annual cooling of ocean waters off the west coast of
Peru and Ecuador.

What is El Nio?
El Nio is a disruption of the oceanatmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having
important consequences for weather around the
globe.

Among these consequences are increased

rainfall across the southern tier of the US and in
Peru, which has caused destructive flooding, and
drought in the West Pacific, sometimes
associated with devastating brush fires in
Australia. Observations of conditions in the
tropical Pacific are considered essential for the
prediction of short term (a few months to 1
year) climate variations.

Quick facts about El

Nio
The phrase "El Nio" refers to the Christ
Child and was coined by fishermen along the
coasts of Ecuador and Peru to describe the
warm ocean current that typically appeared
around Christmas time and lasted for several
months.

El Nio is the second largest driver of the

world's weather, second only to normal
seasonal warming and cooling, which also
brings changes in precipitation patterns.

El Nios appear approximately every two to

seven years. They typically last 12 to 18
months. In the early 1990s, a protracted El
Nio persisted for four years.

El Nios have been documented since the

early 1700s. More detailed observations from
ships led to instrumental record keeping in the
earlier half of this century. It is only since the
1970s, however, that scientists began linking El
Nio to massive flooding and severe droughts
around the world.

About every four to five years, a pool of

cooler-than-normal water develops off South
America. The effects of this cooler water are
called La Nia. This usually brings colder winters
to the Canadian west and Alaska and drier,
warmer weather to the American southeast.

Brief history, and the origin of El

Nio terms

For hundreds of years (the first available

record dates 1567), South American fishermen
have noticed the appearance of warm waters in
the eastern Pacific Ocean along the coast of
Ecuador and Peru. As the phenomenon typically
becomes apparent around Christmas, the name
"El Nio", or the Christ Child was eventually
bestowed.

Noticing that as pressure rises in the east,

there is typically an accompanying decrease in
the west, with the reverse also true, he coined
the term Southern Oscillation to categorize his
find.
Further study led to the realization that
Asian monsoon seasons under certain
barometric conditions were often linked to
drought in Australia, Indonesia, India, and parts
of Africa and mild winters in western Canada.

Not until the late 1960s did a Norwegian

meteorologist, Jacob Bjerknes, a professor at the
University of California, establish the connection
between the changes in sea surface temperatures and the
weak winds from the east and heavy rainfall that
accompany low pressure conditions.
Ultimately, Bjerknes' discovery led to the recognition
that the warm waters of El Nio and the pressure
variance of Walker's Southern Oscillation are
interrelated, leading to the full naming of the
phenomenon as : "El Nio Southern
Oscillation(ENSO)".

Why El Nio

occurs?

El Nino is thought to occur due to changes in

the normal patterns of trade wind circulation.
Normally, these winds move westward, carrying
warm surface water to Indonesia and Australia
and allowing cooler water to upwell along the
South American coast. For reasons not yet fully
understood, these trade winds can sometimes
be reduced, or even reversed. This moves
warmer waters toward the coast of South
America and raises water temperatures. Warmer
water causes heat and moisture to rise from the
ocean off Ecuador and Peru, resulting in more
frequent storms and torrential rainfall over
these normally arid countries.

Comparison of Normal and El Nio Con

Normal conditions

El Nio conditions

What is La Nia?

La Nia is characterized by unusually

cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial
Pacific, compared to El Nio, which is
characterized by unusually warm ocean
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.

Quick facts about La

Nia
The phrase "La Nia" is spanish for "the
girl" and sometimes called "El Viejo" (old
man). It is characterized by unusually cold
ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.
In comparison, El Nio is characterized by
unusually warm ocean temperatures in the
Equatorial Pacific.

La Nias appear approximately every 4-5

years. They typically last 1-2 years.

Global climate abnormalities of La Nia are

less pronounced and in some areas tend to be
the opposite of those associated with El Nio.
However, the effects of La Nia are not always
opposite to that of El Nio.

After an El Nio, the climate does not

always swing to a La Nia phase. There have
been only 17 moderate to strong La Nias
compared to 25 moderate to strong El Nios
since the turn of the century.

La Nia is a natural phenomenon in the

climate system and have been occurring for
centuries. Detailed observations from ships
led to systematic instrumental record keeping
in the earlier half of this century.

It is believed that La Nia's cooling of the

equatorial Pacific tend to favour hurricane
formation in the western Atlantic. In
contrast, El Nio conditions tend to suppress
the development of tropical storms and
hurricanes in the Atlantic, but increase the
number of tropical storms over the eastern
and central Pacific Ocean.

La Nia usually brings colder winters to

the Canadian west and Alaska, and drier,
warmer weather to the American southeast.

Brief history of La Nia

terms

La Nia, meaning the little girl, names the appearance

of cooler than normal waters in the eastern and central
Pacific Ocean. Sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Nio, or
simply "a cold event", it is the antithesis of El Nio.

At the turn of this century, a connection between La

Nia, El Nio, and other weather patterns had yet to be
established. During the 1920s, the head of the Indian
Meteorological Service, Sir Gilbert Walker, recognized
patterns to the rainfall in South America. His discovery led
him to theorize additional associations with the change in
the ocean temperatures, and with atmospheric pressure
changes measured at stations at different parts of the
Pacific (Darwin, Australia, and Tahiti).

Noticing that as pressure rises in the east,

there is typically an accompanying decrease in the
west, with the reverse also true, he coined the term
Southern Oscillation to categorize his find.
Further study led to the realization that Asian
monsoon seasons under certain barometric
conditions were often linked to drought in
Australia, Indonesia, India and parts of Africa, and
to mild winters in western Canada.

Not until the late 1960s did a Norwegian

meteorologist, Jacob Bjerknes, a professor at the
University of California, establish the connection between
the changes in sea surface temperatures and the weak
winds from the east and heavy rainfall that accompany low
pressure conditions.
Ultimately, Bjerknes' discovery led to the recognition
that the warm waters of El Nio (with the often cool
waters of La Nia) and the pressure variance of Walker's
Southern Oscillation are interrelated, leading to the full
naming of the phenomenon as :
"El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO)".

Why La Nia
Occurs?

La Nia is thought to occur due to

increases in the strength of the normal
patterns of trade wind circulation. Under
normal conditions, these winds move
westward, carrying warm surface water to
Indonesia and Australia and allowing cooler
water to upwell along the South American
coast. For reasons not yet fully understood,
periodically these trade winds are
strengthened, increasing the amount of cooler
water toward the coast of South America and
reducing water temperatures.

Comparison of Normal and La Nia

Conditions
Normal conditions

La Nia conditions

The increased amount of cooler water toward

the coast of South America, causes increases in
the deep cloud buildup towards southeast Asia,
resulting in wetter than normal conditions over
Indonesia during the northern hemisphere winter.

The changes in the tropical Pacific are

accompanied by large modulations of the jet
stream within the middle latitudes, shifting the
point at which the stream normally crosses North
America. The shifted jet stream contributes to
large departures from the normal location and
strength of storm paths. The overall changes in
the atmosphere result in temperature and
precipitation anomalies over North America which
can persist for several months.

El Nio and La Nia

Years

El Nio (Spanish name for the male child),

initially referred to a weak, warm current
appearing annually around Christmas time
along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and lasting
only a few weeks to a month or more. Every
three to seven years, an El Nio event may last
for many months, having significant economic
and atmospheric consequences worldwide.
During the past forty years, ten of these major
El Nio events have been recorded, the worst of
which occurred in1997-1998. Previous to this,
the El Nio event in 1982-1983 was the
strongest. Some of the El Nio events have
persisted more than one year.

El Nio Years
1902-1903 1905-1906 1911-1912

1914-1915

1918-1919 1923-1924 1925-1926

1930-1931

1932-1933 1939-1940 1941-1942

1951-1952

1953-1954 1957-1958 1965-1966

1969-1970

1972-1973 1976-1977 1982-1983

1986-1987

1991-1992 1994-1995 1997-1998

2002-2003

In the tropical Pacific, trade winds

generally drive the surface waters westward.
The surface water becomes progressively
warmer going westward because of its longer
exposure to solar heating. El Nio is observed
when the easterly trade winds weaken,
allowing warmer waters of the western Pacific
to migrate eastward and eventually reach the
South American Coast (shown in orange). The
cool nutrient-rich sea water normally found
along the coast of Peru is replaced by warmer
water depleted of nutrients, resulting in a
dramatic reduction in marine fish and plant life.

A Warm Current of Water

In contrast to El Nio, La Nia

(female child) refers to an anomaly of
unusually cold sea surface temperatures
found in the eastern tropical Pacific. La
Nia occurs roughly half as often as El
Nio.

La Nia Years
1904-1905

1909-1910 1910-1911

1915-1916

1917-1918

1924-1925 1928-1929

1938-1039

1950-1951

1955-1956 1956-1057

1964-1965

1970-1971

1971-1972 1973-1974

1975-1976

1988-1989

1995-1996 1998-1999

1999-2000

Recent
Event

The most recent El Nio event began in the

Event)
spring months(1997-1998
of 1997. Instrumentation
placed
on Buoys in the Pacific Ocean after the 19821983 El Nio began recording abnormally high
temperatures off the coast of Peru. Over the next
couple of months, these strength of these
anomalies grew. The anomalies grew so large by
October 1997 that this El Nio had already
become the strongest in the 50+ years of
accurate data gathering.

The image below displays the Sea Surface Temperature

(SST) Anomalies in degrees Celsius for the middle of
September, 1997. By this time, the classic El Nio pattern has
almost fully ripened, with maxima above +4 degrees Celsius.

Droughts in the Western Pacific Islands and Indonesia as

well as in Mexico and Central America were the early (and
sometimes constant) victims of this El Nio. These locations
were consistent with early season El Nios in the past. A global
view of the normal climatic effects of El Nio can be seen below.

The effects El Nio have on United States' weather is

less obvious. Back in 1982-1983, the U.S. Gulf States and
California received excessive rainfall. As the winter
approached, forecasters expected excessive rainfall to occur
again. Indeed, portions of central and southern California
suffered record-breaking rainfall amounts. Damage consisted
not only of flooding, but mudslides Some mudslides
destroyed communities in a flash -- causing many casualties.
Other problems could be found in the Gulf states, as severe
weather was above average. Even though no one particular
storm can be blamed on El Nio, many forecasters do believe
the event did increase the chances for such severe weather to
occur.

Upwelling

One oceanic process altered during an El Nio

year is upwelling, which is the rising of deeper
colder water to shallower depths. The diagram
below shows how upwelling occurs along the
coast of Peru. Because of the frictional stresses
that exist between ocean layers, surface water is
transported at a 90 degree angle to the left of the
winds in the southern hemisphere, 90 degrees to
the right of the winds in the northern hemisphere.
This is why winds blowing northward parallel to
the coastline of Peru "drag" surface water
westward away from shore.

The Transport of Deeper Water to

Shallow Levels

Nutrient-rich water rises from deeper levels to

replace the surface water that has drifted away and
these nutrients are responsible for supporting the large
fish population commonly found in these areas. The
effectiveness of upwelling and its ability to support
abundant sea life is greatly dependent upon the depth
of the thermocline.

The thermocline is the transition layer

between the mixed layer at the surface and
the deep water layer. The definitions of
these layers are based on temperature.
The mixed layer is near the surface where
the temperature is roughly that of surface
water. In the thermocline, the temperature
decreases rapidly from the mixed layer
temperature to the much colder deep water
temperature.
The mixed layer and the deep water layer
are relatively uniform in temperature, while
the thermocline represents the transition
zone between the two.

A deeper thermocline (often observed during El Nio years)

limits the amount of nutrients brought to shallower depths by
upwelling processes, greatly impacting the years fish crop.

Non El Nio Years

The easterly trade winds of the tropics drag

the surface waters of the eastern Pacific away
from the coastlines of the Americas. As it moves
away, the water is deflected northward (in the
northern hemisphere) by the Coriolis forceand
southward (in the southern hemisphere), causing
water to move away from the equator in both
directions. Upwelling in the eastern Pacific brings
colder water up from deeper levels to replace the
surface water that has been dragged away.

Sea surface temperature (SST) data reveals the

presence of colder water in the eastern tropical Pacific. The
following plot of average sea surface temperatures from
1949-1993 shows that the average December SSTs were
much cooler in the eastern Pacific (less than 22 degrees
Celsius) than in the western Pacific (greater than 25
degrees Celsius), gradually decreasing from west to east.

The trade winds accumulate warm surface water

around Indonesia, raising the sea level roughly half a meter
higher in the western Pacific. As upwelling persists, the
level of the thermocline rises to shallower depths off the
South American coast and is depressed in the western
Pacific. The upwelled water is rich in nutrients and
supports an abundance of fish and marine life.

As surface water propagates westward, it is heated by

the atmosphere and the sun, allowing warmer waters to
accumulate in the western Pacific. The cooler water in the
eastern Pacific cools the air above it, and consequently the
air becomes too dense to rise and produce clouds. In the
western Pacific however, the overlying air is heated by the
warmer waters below, destabilizing the lower atmosphere
and increasing the likelihood of precipitation.

This is why during most non El Nio Years, heavy rainfall

is found over the warmer waters of the western Pacific while the
eastern Pacific is relatively dry.

Todays El Nio and La Nia

information

El Nio Events are the results from weakening easterly trade

winds. 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.

This leads to a build up of warm surface water and a

sinking of the thermocline in the eastern Pacific. The
deeper thermocline limits the amount of nutrient-rich deep
water tapped by upwelling processes. These nutrients are
vital for sustaining the large fish populations normally
found in the region and any reduction in the supply of
nutrients means a reduction in the fish population.

Convective clouds and heavy rains are fueled by

increased buoyancy of the lower atmosphere resulting
from heating by the warmer waters below. As the warmer
water shifts eastward, so do the clouds and thunderstorms
associated with it, resulting in dry conditions in Indonesia
and Australia while more flood-like conditions exist in
Peru and Ecuador.

El Nio causes all sorts of unusual weather,

sometimes bringing rain to coastal deserts of South
America which never see rain during non-El Nio years.
The flooding results in swarming mosquitoes and the
spread of disease.

The air-sea interaction that occur during an El Nio

event feed off of each other. As the pressure falls in the
east and rises in the west, the surface pressure gradient
is reduced and the trade winds weaken. This allows
more warm surface water to flow eastward, which
brings with it more rain, which leads to a further
decrease of pressure in the east because the latent heat
of condensation warms the air...and the cycle continues.

What are typical

global
climate

While typical impacts of both El Nio and La Nia

can be readily recognized, it should be noted that these
effects?
impacts do not necessarily occur with any given El Nio

or La Nia episode.
example, rainfall over southern
Impacts
onFor
Precipitation
and
Africa is often below normal concurrent with an El Nio,
Temperature
but during the 1997/98 event near-average or even aboveaverage rainfall occurred over much of the region.
Factors other than the state of tropical Pacific Ocean
SSTs may influence regional climate variability
(including internal atmospheric dynamics, SST in other
ocean basins and land surface conditions). Therefore,
impacts noted below may not necessarily be caused
directly by La Nia but appear consistent with the event.

As La Nia conditions developed after mid-year,

global rainfall patterns started to adjust, especially in the
tropics. By October, global rainfall patterns consistent with
the developing La Nia conditions were first observed in
the far western Pacific and, as the cold episode developed,
characteristic La Nia patterns were observed elsewhere.
These included relatively wet conditions over much of
Indonesia and parts of Australia and southern Africa, and
relatively dry conditions in south-eastern South America,
including parts of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Northern
Argentina, and much of eastern Africa.

A classic feature of the transition from an El Nio

pattern into a La Nia was seen in the global average
surface temperature anomaly for 1998, which was the
highest observed in the instrumental record despite
maturing La Nia conditions during the latter half of the
year. Although La Nia patterns are generally associated
with colder than average surface land temperatures in
the global tropics and subtropics over the full period of
an event, these temperature conditions may not start to
emerge until January, as was the case this year. This lag
between the development of La Nia and the emergence
of negative surface land temperature anomalies and
teleconnections to higher latitudes is typical.

Various impacts of El Nio

and La Nia
Atmospheric Consequences of El
Nio
(influencing weather patterns worldwide)

During an El Nio year, tropical rains usually

centered over Indonesia shift eastward, influencing
atmospheric wind patterns world wide. Possible
impacts include: a shifting of the jet stream, storm
tracks and monsoons, producing unseasonable
weather over many regions of the globe.


During the El Nio event of 1982-1983, some
of the abnormal weather patterns observed included:
Drought in Southern Africa,
Southern India, Sri Lanka,
Philippines, Indonesia, Australia,
Southern Peru, Western Bolivia,
Mexico, Central America
Heavy rain and flooding in Bolivia,
Ecuador, Northern Peru, Cuba,
U.S. Gulf States
Hurricanes in Tahiti, Hawaii

The 1982-83 El Nio strengthened the upper-level ridge

that was present off the West coast of the United States.
(This intensification is represented by the increased
amplitude of the wave in the right panel below).

Normal Winter
Winter

El Nio

The amplification led to a warming in the near-Pacific

regions of North America, extending from Alaska to the
northern Plains of the United States (orange shading).

Simultaneously, the deepening

of the winter upper-level trough
(typically found over the eastern US)
produced heavier than normal rains in
the southern states (blue shading).

As a result of the 1982-83 El

Nio event, wide spread flooding
occurred across the southern United
States.

Typical La Nia Impacts

La Nia tends to bring nearly opposite effects of

El Nio to the United States wetter than normal
conditions across the Pacific Northwest and dryer
and warmer than normal conditions across much of
the southern tier. The impacts of El Nio and La
Nia at these latitudes are most clearly seen in
wintertime. In the continental U.S., during El Nio
years, temperatures in the winter are warmer than
normal in the North Central States, and cooler than
normal in the Southeast and the Southwest. During a
La Nia year, winter temperatures are warmer than
normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in
the Northwest.

Economic Consequences of El Nio

(and the influence on prices worldwide)

The coast of Peru is one of five major fishing

grounds in the world (along with the coastal waters of
California, Namibia, Mauritania, and Somalia). The
abundance of fish is supported by the upwelling of
nutrient rich waters from deeper levels (below the
thermocline).

During non-El Nio years,

the southeast trade winds, drag
surface water westward away
from shore. As surface water
moves away, upwelling brings
up colder waters from depths of
40-80 meters or more. This
deep sea water is rich in
nutrients which can sustain
large fish populations.

During an El Nio event,

the southeast trade winds
weaken and so does the amount
upwelling in the eastern Pacific.
The deeper thermocline means
that any upwelling that does
occur is unable to tap into the
rich nutrients found in deeper
waters. Consequently, warm
nutrient-poor water
predominates the region and a
decrease in the fish population
is observed.

A reduction of the fish population reduces

the amount of fishmeal produced and exported
(by local industry) to other countries for feeding
poultry and livestock. If the world's fishmeal
supply decreases, more expensive alternative
feed sources must be used, resulting in an
increase in poultry prices worldwide.

Forecasts

Computer models and statistical methods, along

with, ocean and atmosphere measuring devices such
as moored and drifting buoys and satellites, are used
to accurately predict the arrival of El Nio or La Nia.
The buoy measurements are part of an international
research program Tropical Ocean and Global
Atmosphere (TOGA). This program is designed to
study naturally occurring climate change and variation
that results from interaction between the tropical
ocean and global atmosphere.

Detection and
Prediction

There are several means used for El Nio

detection; satellites, moored ATLA and PROTEUS

buoys, drifting buoys, sea level analysis, and XBT's.
Since El Nio influences global weather patterns and
affects human lives and ecosystems, prediction of an
El Nio event is becoming increasingly important. For
short term prediction (up to 1 year) of climate
variations, current observation in the Tropical Pacific
are vital. Numerical models are used in many places
for El Nio prediction and research. Here are some of
the latest El Nio forecasts.

Given that numerical models predicting

El Nio must do so months in advance, they
are not as reliable as those used in predicting
the weather, which forecast only days in
advance. They have, however, progressed to
the point where they can reproduce the
characteristics of a typical El Nio event and
some industries use these forecasts as an
indicator of the coming fish harvest.

Forecasts are presented in

terms of possible conditions for
South America:
1) near normal conditions,
2) a weak El Nio with a slightly wetter than normal
growing season,
3) a full blown El Nio with flooding,
4) cooler than normal waters offshore, with higher
than normal chance of drought in South America.

Once the forecast is issued, management of

agriculture, water supplies, fisheries, and other
resources can be modified.

Why is predicting El Nio and La Nina

so important?

Better predictions of the potential for extreme

climate episodes like floods and droughts could save
the United States billions of dollars in damage costs.
Predicting the life cycle and strength of a Pacific
warm or cold episode is critical in helping water,
energy and transportation managers, and farmers plan
for, avoid or mitigate potential losses. Advances in
improved climate predictions will also result in
significantly enhanced economic opportunities,
particularly for the national agriculture, fishing,
forestry and energy sectors, as well as social benefits.

El Nio and La Nia are naturally occurring

phenomena that result from interactions between the
ocean surface and the atmosphere over the tropical
Pacific. Changes in the ocean surface temperatures
affect tropical rainfall patterns and atmospheric winds
over the Pacific ocean, which in turn impact the ocean
temperatures and currents. The El Nino and La Nia
related patterns of tropical rainfall cause changes in the
weather patterns around the globe.

During an El Nio or La Nia, the changes in Pacific

Ocean temperatures affect the patterns of tropical

rainfall from Indonesia to the west coast of South
America, a distance covering approximately one-half
way around the world. These changes in tropical rainfall
affect weather patterns throughout the world.

 El Nino Theme Page

http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino-home.htm

El Nio: online meteorology guide

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/eln/home.rxml

Contents - El Nio
http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/education/elnino/index

El Nio/La Nia Update

http://www.wmo.ch/nino/updat.html#intro

Produced by

Wong Sze Man, Rachel 7A(12)