GROUP 2 PRESENTATION

EL NIÑO
 WHAT IS EL NIÑO?
-The term El Niño (Spanish for
‘the Christ Child’) refers to a
warming of the ocean surface, or
above-average sea surface
temperatures, in the central and
eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
• El Niño was recognized by fishers off the coast of Peru as
the appearance of unusually warm water. We have no real
record of what indigenous Peruvians called the
phenomenon, but Spanish immigrants called it El Niño,
meaning “the little boy” in Spanish. When capitalized, El
Niño means the Christ Child, and was used because the
phenomenon often arrived around Christmas. El Niño soon
came to describe irregular and intense climate changes
rather than just the warming of coastal surface waters.
• Led by the work of Sir Gilbert Walker in the
1930s, climatologists determined that El Niño
occurs simultaneously with the Southern
Oscillation. The Southern Oscillation is a
change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific
Ocean. When coastal waters become warmer
in the eastern tropical Pacific (El Niño), the
atmospheric pressure above the ocean
decreases. Climatologists define these linked
phenomena as El Niño-Southern Oscillation
(ENSO). Today, most scientists use the terms
El Niño and ENSO interchangeably.
• Scientists use the Oceanic Nino Index
(ONI) to measure deviations from normal
sea-surface temperatures. El Niño events
are indicated by sea surface temperature
increases of more than 0.9° Fahrenheit for
at least five successive three-month
seasons. The intensity of El Niño events
varies from weak temperature increases
(about 4–5° F) with only moderate local
effects on weather and climate to very
strong increases (14–18° F) associated
with worldwide climatic changes.
 THE IMPACT OF EL NIÑO
-El Niño has an impact on ocean temperatures, the speed
and strength of ocean currents, the health of coastal
fisheries, and local weather from Australia to South
America and beyond. El Niño events occur irregularly at
two- to seven-year intervals. However, El Niño is not a
regular cycle, or predictable in the sense that ocean tides
are.
•El Niño is a climate pattern that describes the
unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern
tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño is the “warm phase”
of a larger phenomenon called the El Niño-Southern
Oscillation (ENSO).
• El Niño events are
defined by their wide-
ranging
teleconnections.
Teleconnections are
large-scale, long-
lasting climate
anomalies or patterns
that are related to each
other and can affect
much of the globe.
• During an El Niño event, westward-blowing trade
winds weaken along the Equator. These changes
in air pressure and wind speed cause warm
surface water to move eastward along the Equator,
from the western Pacific to the coast of northern
South America
NORMAL CONDITION
EL NIÑO CONDITION
El Niño also produces widespread and sometimes
severe changes in the climate. Convection above
warmer surface waters bring increased precipitation.
Rainfall increases drastically in Ecuador and
northern Peru, contributing to coastal flooding and
erosion. Rains and floods may destroy homes,
schools, hospitals, and businesses. They also limit
transportation and destroy crops.
• As El Niño brings rain to South America, it brings
droughts to Indonesia and Australia. These
droughts threaten the region’s water supplies, as
reservoirs dry and rivers carry less water.
Agriculture, which depends on water for irrigation,
is threatened.
CAUSE AND EFFECTS
CAUSE
-cause by the warming of sea
surface temperature in the pacific
and can affect air and sea currents
-warm water builds up along the
equator in the eastern pacific
 EFFECTS
-increased chance of drier
conditions
-drier and warmer temperatures
over all, with notable extreme cold
spells
HEALTH EFFECTS

· Diseases related to water scarcity or shortage such

as diarrhea and skin diseases
· Red Tide Blooms : Paralytic shellfish poisoning
· Disorders associated with high temperatures: heat
cramps, heat exhaustion, exertional heat injury and
heat stroke
WHAT TO DO?

· Conserve water and use it wisely.

· Protect water sources from contamination.
· Drink more fluids.
· Listen to the updates on shellfish ban.
· Wear light clothing.
· Avoid strenuous physical activity.
IT’S QUIZ TIME
 TRUE OF FALSE
1.El Niño means “The little Boy”
2.Is El Niño a part of a larger cycle?
3. Scientist know the causes of El Niño.
4. El Niño lasts between 2-3 months.
5.El Niño tend to create severe australian droughts.
6. El Niño is a cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific ocean.
7. El Niño events are defined by their wide-ranging telescope.
 IDENTIFICATION
1. What is El Niño?
2. Where does the word “El Niño” came from?
3. What is the meaning of El Niño in Spanish?
• 4. What is the meaning of ENSO?
• 5. Scientist uses the _________ to measure deviation from
normal sea-surface temperature
 IDENTIFICATION
6. El Niño events are defined by their wide-ranging ____________.
7. El Niño warming is associated with the atmospheric phenomenon as the
_____________.
8. Who is the climatologist who determined that El Niño occurs simultaneously in
1930.
9. Rainfall increases drastically in? _______ and ________, contributing to coastal
flood and erosion.
10. During an El Niño event, westward-blowing trade winds weaken along the
_________.
 ESSAY
"What would you do in times of El
Niño?”(8pts)
 ANSWERS
TRUE OR FALSE
1.El Niño means “The little Boy” (True)
2.Is El Niño a part of a larger cycle? (true)
3. Scientist know the causes of El Niño. (False)
4. El Niño lasts between 2-3 months. (false)
5.El Niño tend to create severe australian droughts(True)
6. El Niño is a cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific ocean. (False)
• 7. El Niño events are defined by their wide-ranging telescope (false)
 ANSWERS
• IDENTIFICATION
• 1. What is El Niño?
• 2. Where does the word “El Niño” came from? (Spanish )
• 3. What is the meaning of El Niño in English? (The Child/The Boy/Little Boy/Christ Child)
• 4. What is the meaning of ENSO? (EL Niño-Southern Oscillation)
• 5. Scientist uses the _________ to measure deviation from normal sea-surface temperature. ( Oceanic Nino Index / ONI)
• 6. El Niño events are defined by their wide-ranging ____________. (Teleconnections)
• 7. El Niño warming is associated with the atmospheric phenomenon as the _____________. (Southern Oscillation)
• 8. Who is the climatologist who determined that El Niño occurs simultaneously in 1930. (Sir Gilbert Walker)
• 9. Rainfall increases drastically in? _______ and ________, contributing to coastal flood and erosion.(Ecuador & Southern
Peru)
• 10. During an El Niño event, westward-blowing trade winds weaken along the _________. (Equator)
THANK YOU!