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Chapter 10: Problem 3

How does the El Niño phenomenon produce the largest nterannual variability in climate? What are some of the hanges and effects that occur worldwide?

Short Answer

Expert verified
El Niño, a climate cycle involving changes in Pacific sea surface temperatures and wind patterns, produces significant interannual climate variability. Worldwide changes and effects include increased rainfall or drought in certain regions, affecting agriculture, ecosystems, human health and leading to extreme weather events.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding El Niño

El Niño is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather patterns. This climate cycle involves a warming of the sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean which affects atmospheric pressure, wind patterns and rainfall rates.
02

El Niño and Climate Variability

El Niño affects the largest interannual variability in climate primarily due to its impact on the Pacific trade winds. Normally, these winds blow strongly from east to west, causing warm water at the sea surface to be pushed towards Asia, allowing colder water to upwell along South America. However, when El Niño occurs, these winds weaken or may even start blowing from west to east. This alteration in wind and ocean currents leads to a significant change in temperature patterns, causing worldwide climate variability.
03

Worldwide Changes and Effects of El Niño

The weather changes brought about by El Niño can have wide-ranging effects across the globe. These may include increased rainfall leading to flooding in the western Americas, drought in the West Pacific, and abnormal weather patterns in various other regions. This not only affects the livelihoods of people, especially those dependent on agriculture and fishing, but also impacts ecosystems, contributes to the spread of diseases, and can lead to extreme weather events like cyclones.

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