El+Nino+(1982-83)

= El Niño =

El Niño, sometimes called the strongest climatic force in the world is a major component of the world’s atmosphere. It is a yearly oscillation of water in the Pacific Ocean, which has a large impact on world climate. Which, in turn, affects many economies around the globe. Unfortunately, El Niño can be quite detrimental to our quality of life. It can cause extreme precipitation, and, on the other hand, it can cause extreme drought. Since we can be affected so much by it, we have, in the last few decades, developed equipment to predict strong El Niño’s. The way El Niño works is due to intricate technicalities of the atmosphere; lets learn how it works. =**How does it occur?**= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FVZrw7bk1w In the figure to the left, which depicts the Pacific Ocean we can learn about El Niño from observing the coasts of South America and Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. Each year, due to Earth’s wind patterns (which drive ocean currents), water flows from the western Pacific to the East and diverges near the coast of South America. This process is called upwelling. In the figure below the first, we see water flowing towards the coast. From simple thought we can deduce that the water will flow over itself in a churning motion. This causes, cold, nutrient rich water from depths of 50 to 300 meters to surface. This process in annually disrupted for a few weeks near Christmas, (hence the name ‘El Niño’ which means ‘the child’, referring to the Christ child) causing the cold water to be replaced by warm equatorial waters. ( Chamberlin )(Lutgens) Usually the effects of the docile annual El Niño are nearly harmless, but in an irregular pattern, occurring every three to seven years, the warm current strengthens. The presence of the warm water is extremely detrimental to the Peruvian fishing business, because most of the precious aquatic life thrives on the cold, nutrient-rich waters. In 1982/83 the worst recorded El Niño in history until that point occurred. Areas of South America, which usually receive little rain, had record-breaking precipitation. Some areas, which usually receive an average of 10-13 centimeters of precipitation per year, received more than 350. Conversely, Australia, The Philippines and Indonesia were plagued by severe drought. The reason for South America’s high level of precipitation is due to the fact that its shores were invaded by warm water. When warm water inhabits an area, its molecules move faster than colder water, the molecules then have a higher affinity to escape the body of liquid, which they inhabit and convert, to gas form. Additionally, the warm water heats the air around it. Warm air can hold more moisture. So, when all of these factors combine, a very humid and warm meteorological situation is created. The exact opposite occurs in the western Pacific. Cold air holds less moisture; therefor the weather is drier, leading to drought.

=**Devastation**= The 1982 El Niño was possibly the most devastating ever recorded. As stated above, Peru experienced record-breaking rainfall, the most in recorded history. Areas that usually experience a mere six inches of rainfall per year experienced over eleven feet. California also experienced heavy rainfall. Flooding caused extreme erosion, which, in turn, led to severe landslides. When there is warmer weather, termites thrive, leading to more and more home damage. In the 10982/83 El Niño over 2,000 people died and nearly 13 billion dollars of damage was done. El Niño also is responsible for diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, and Rift Valley Fever. (// Upwelling Currents and El Niños Exercise) // El Niño concerns Peruvians because of its devastating effects on their fishing industry. Fish favor cold water. The economy of Peru also relies heavily on their fish commodity. Therefor, when the fish die due to an influx of warm water, nearly all fishermen are out of work and the economy will consequently plummet. The Peruvian government thus developed a program to predict the El Niño. Peru also has a large farming industry so when there are large quantities of rainfall due to a strong El Niño, the crops get flooded. The 1982/83 also had far reaching effects on biological life. Due to the fall in the fish population, sea birds abandoned their normal habitats and migrated away from their normal habitats. As the ocean levels fall as a result of El Niño’s technicalities, coral reefs are exposed to the open air, which causes them to die. This causes a huge drop in fish population because coral acts as a home to a vast multitude of creatures. (Pierce)

= = =**Prediction of El Niño**=

Over the past several years, scientists have produced an array of computer programs, which utilize mathematical models to predict Pacific Ocean patterns. The models can predict El Niño twelve to eighteen months in advance, though they are not the most reliable source of prediction. To acquire the information necessary to make a prediction a large number of buoys have been placed in the Pacific Ocean to obtain data. Sometimes El Niño will be predicted quite accurately, other times though the predictions can be inaccurate. The predictions give a more generalized idea of what will happen climatically in the next few years to come. (Pierce) (Reports to the Nation: El Niño and Climate Prediction)

Works Cited

ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
 * 1) a. Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. //The Atmosphere//. 10th


 * 1) b. Chamberlin, Sean. "World Ocean Circulation - Upwelling." //YouTube//. YouTube, 18 Nov. 2008. Web. 30 May 2013.
 * 1) c. Pierce, David. "What Is an El Niño, Anyway?" //What Is an El Niño, Anyway?// N.p., 25 June 1997. Web. 30 May 2013.
 * 1) **d.** "Reports to the Nation: El Nino and Climate Prediction." //Reports to the Nation: El Nino and Climate Prediction//. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2013.


 * 1) e. " ." //Upwelling Currents and El Niños Exercise//. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2013.