Almanac Entry: El Nio and La Nia


The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2005
01-01-2005

El Nio and La Nia
Section: meteorg

Source: National Weather Service, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce

El Nio is a climatically significant disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system characterized by large-scale weakening of trade winds and warming of the surface layers in the central and E equatorial Pacific. The term El Nio, Spanish for "the Christ Child," was originally used by fishermen to refer to a warm ocean current appearing around Christmas off the W coasts of Ecuador and Peru and lasting several months. The term has come to be reserved for exceptionally strong, warm currents that bring heavy rains.

El Nio events ...

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