El Nino:El Nino: What’s It All About?What’s It All About?

What is El Nino?What is El Nino?• warming of sea surface

waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

• “warm phase”, occurs every 3-7 years

• the shift in temperatures dramatically affects global weather

Occurs during Christmas season ...Occurs during Christmas season ...• First noticed by Peruvian Fishermen

• “Christ Child”

• “The Boy”

• “The Little One”

Common Effects of El Nino?Common Effects of El Nino?• US southwest wetter• US northwest mild

winters• Atlantic hurricanes

milder and less frequent

• African droughts or floods

• European droughts and floods

• East asian floods

Vietnam Has Been Hit by Flood and

Drought in 2002.

U.S. had worst fire year in last 50; this

photo from Angeles National Forest

What is La Nina?What is La Nina?• cooling of sea surface

waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean

• “cold phase”, occurs every 3-7 years

• La NiñaLa Niña• ““The GirlThe Girl””

More El Nino More El Nino ImagesImages

Normal

Autumn El Nino

SpringEl Nino

National El Nino Impact

Measuring El NinoMeasuring El NinoWeather Station: ColoradoWeather Station: Colorado

Measuring El NinoMeasuring El NinoBuoysBuoys

Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Array of ATLAS moored buoys

The World’s Largest Scientific Instrument!

Measuring El NinoMeasuring El NinoSatellitesSatellites

Measuring El NinoMeasuring El NinoSea Surface Temperatures

Measuring El Nino:Measuring El Nino:Coral Bleaching

El Nino and CaliforniaEl Nino and California• Increased chance of heavy winter rains• Severe flooding and landslides

(1934, La Canada floods kill more than 40 people; 1978 killer landslides in local mountains)

• Bigger surf from larger Pacific Storms

• Increased summer droughts

A rescuer helps a woman out of her Orange County house, 1998