The global climate anomaly in the ocean system – atmosphere. Every year at the height of the summer of the Southern Hemisphere, on the eve of Catholic Christmas, in a typical cold localization area Peruvian current comes warm water. Water warming causes sharp decline in fishing conditions off the coast of South America from Ecuador to Peru, as there is little plankton and fish in warm water herds of delicious anchovy and sardines go to the open ocean in searching for cold water.
Photos from open sources LittleStocker | Shutterstock.com Fishermen Left Without a Catch That Is Theirs the only source of income with bitter irony call it warming the ocean with a “Christmas present”, which is why this phenomenon name: el niño (translated from Spanish – “baby”, “boy”). Following El Nino into this region as usually comes colder water, which was given the name la niña (“girl”).
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However, there are years when much more intensive increase (or, conversely, decrease) in temperature ocean surface that persists for several months and spans the vast expanses of the Pacific tropics. It is these abnormal fluctuations in water temperature that exceed seasonal and sometimes reaching five or more degrees, scientists are now called El Niño (warm period) and La Niña (cold period).
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The processes taking place in the ocean and atmosphere are closely interconnected, therefore, events in the water element cannot be considered in isolation from atmospheric circulation. Under normal conditions over the tropics of the Pacific the ocean is dominated by eastern winds (trade winds) blowing from the coast America towards Australia. This is due to the fact that in the east Pacific pressure is higher than in the west, in the region of Indonesia and Northern Australia. And the wind, as you know, blows from the area increased pressure in the lowered area. However in the years with El Nino’s pressure and the wind associated with it are changing dramatically, at the same time, a significant part of the tropics of the Pacific Ocean is captured westerly winds blowing from Australia. By the way, due to fluctuations pressure during the El Nino period, events in the atmosphere assigned name Southern Swing. It is the westerly winds associated with this pressure fluctuations are the main cause of warm water surge to the shores of South America.
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© Irina Sekulich
Such a large-scale adjustment of atmospheric circulation observed for several months and causes natural disasters in the tropical zone of the Earth. Floods in Ecuador and Peru Chile, hurricanes in Mexico, drought and wildfires in Indonesia, Northern Australia – all this is the hooliganism of the little El Niño boy. The last time a strong El Nino was observed not so long ago – in 2009-2010.
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Following El Nino, an extreme event then followed. La Niña, when the strongest was observed off the coast of South America cooling of the waters of the Pacific Ocean. During La Niña in the tropics of the Pacific ocean, on the contrary, is strengthening the existing classical trade winds. In the east pacific pressure for several months kept above normal, and in the western Pacific over the North Australia and Indonesia keep pressure below their climatic values. Actually, therefore, there is an increase east wind.
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© Irina Sekulich
La Niña 2010-2011 caused the most destructive of all Australia’s modern history of flooding in its northeast coast in January 2011. During this period, intensified tropical cyclones, unprecedented tropical rains and hurricane wind speeds, most of the sugar was destroyed cane and banana. Weather Damage amounted to billions of dollars! Three months later, the strongest floods also hit Indonesia and southern Thailand. And this far from a complete list of the terrible consequences of leprosy capricious girly la nina!
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The Pacific Ocean makes a noise somewhere very far, but in the atmosphere there real boundaries, and tropical circulation influences on the weather all over the globe. So, changes in atmospheric circulations in the tropics associated with El Niño or La Niña may affect the weather and our temperate latitudes!
Australia Water Peru
