El Nino and La Nina Notes

Multiple Choice

What is the cause of rising surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean, drought in the western US, and flooding along the Pacific coast of South America?

• the Gulf Stream

• La Nina

• the Jet Stream

• El Nino

Multiple Choice

During 2011, it was a La Nina year. How did this weather phenomenon affect Houston and all of Texas?

• Warmer than normal winter which caused droughts

• Cooler than normal temperatures and increased flooding

• Warmer than normal summer and an increase in tropical storms

• Texas was not affected because La Nina occurs in the Pacific Ocean

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true regarding El Nino?

• It is a destructive hurricane

• It is comprised of ocean currents from the Caribbean

• It is caused by weakening trade winds

• It only occurs in the Southern Hemisphere

Multiple Choice

How do El Nino and La Nina affect local weather?

• El Nino creates cool currents and results in a cooler winter for the southern half of the US while La Nina creates warm currents and results in a warmer winter for the southern US

• El Nino creates warm ocean currents which results in warmer winters for all of the US, and La Nina creates cool ocean currents which leads to cooler winters for all of the US

• El Nino creates warm ocean currents which results in cooler winters for the southern half of the US while La Nina creates cooler ocean currents which results in a warmer winter in the southern half of the US

• El Nino and La Nina are ocean currents and change water temperatures, but do affect local weather