El Niño and La Niña / Milankovitch Cycles

Front

What is El Niño?

Back

El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which can disrupt normal weather patterns globally.

Front

What is La Niña?

Back

La Niña is a climate pattern that describes the cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, often leading to opposite weather effects compared to El Niño.

Front

What weather does El Niño typically cause in the southern US?

Back

El Niño typically causes cold and wet weather in the southern United States.

Front

What weather does La Niña typically cause in the southern US?

Back

La Niña typically causes warm and dry weather in the southern United States.

Front

What causes El Niño?

Back

El Niño is caused by a combination of oceanic and atmospheric conditions, including weakened trade winds and warmer ocean temperatures.

Front

What causes La Niña?

Back

La Niña is caused by the cooling of water in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America.

Front

What are trade winds?

Back

Trade winds are steady winds that flow from east to west in the tropics, influencing ocean currents and weather patterns.

Front

How do trade winds behave during El Niño?

Back

During an El Niño event, trade winds are typically weaker than usual.

Front

How do trade winds behave during La Niña?

Back

During a La Niña event, trade winds are much stronger than usual.

Front

What is the impact of El Niño on global weather patterns?

Back

El Niño can lead to increased rainfall in some regions, droughts in others, and can disrupt normal weather patterns worldwide.