In today’s society the weather phenomenon known as, El Nino, is often misunderstood. Even worse a significant portion of the world does not even know what is. The common man would most likely not be able to tell you whether or not it is environmental phenomenon or simply something you order at Taco Bell. If we cannot accurately define the effects of El Nino it is impossible for us to conclude on whether or not it is something we should be concerned about. Understanding how and why it takes place will give us a much greater understanding of the extent of its global impact.
El Niño is a natural occurrence that has been happening for as long as humans have recorded history. For hundreds of years, around Christmas time, fishermen noticed an uncharacteristically warm current emerge. The Peruvians coined what they saw to be an inexplicable occurrence as “El Nino” which translates to “the little boy” in Spanish. Due to the fact that the effects would generally transpire around Christmas the name is referencing the birth of Jesus Christ.
The disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific which causes severe repercussions for weather and climate across the world is what brought about the warm currents seen by the fisherman. The Pacific Ocean’s climate is briefly modified around the equatorial region. The expression is used to portray exceptionally intense and persistent occurrences. An El Nino will happen about every three to seven years and its intense conditions will impact climate for at the minimum one year.
Unlike the South American fisherman of the past, in this day and age, science can tell us what circumstances lead to events such as the El Nino to occur. Usually, the wind blows strongly from east to west alon...
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...[Online] Available http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/Nino/Overview.html, March 26, 1998. Hjfree@ios.bc.ca. Brief Notes On Biological Effects. http://www.ios.bc.ca/ios/sos/elnino/biol.htm, March 26, 1998 Glossary of Terms. [Online] Available http://www.dir.ucar.edu/esig/elnino/glossary.html, March 26, 1998. Kessler, Brian. Not So Frequently Asked Questions about El Nino [Online] Available http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/resources/elninofaq.html, March 26, 1998. Monastersky, R. "The Loitering El Nino: Greenhouse Guest?" Science News. 27 January 1998: 54. Simon, Tamar. El Nino Threatens on the Horizon. [Online] Available http://www.exn.net/news/0.cfm?ThisStory=19970529-03.html Svitil, Kathy A "They Saw It Coming." Discover. January 1998: 82-83. Warm Water, Cold Water and El Nino. [Online] Available http://broadcast.webpoint.com/kwgn/elnino/elnino_upwellings.htm, March 26 1998.
“Oceans”, the third unit from “The Habitable Planet” series, discusses El Nino and the discovery of a new phytoplankton, and how these effect human and marine life . This paper will highlight six facts from the video, emphasizing what they are, how scientists have discovered this information, and what makes them important. In addition to these facts, this paper will explain the term “positive feedback” as briefly mentioned in the video and provide an example of this process outside of El Nino. The first of several interesting facts discussed in the video is that El Nino is responsible for devastating occurrences such as monsoons, droughts, and floods1.
Climate change has become of the world’s major issue today. The earth’s climate is always changing in a very fast and also in different ways. Climate changes affect our lives psychologically, emotional and also physically. Climate change is defined as a long term change in the earth’s climate, especially a change due to the increase in the average atmospheric temperatures. Due to this change in temperature, a lot of changes has occurred in our environment, these changes include rising sea levels, flooding, melting of polar ice caps, hotter days, colder nights and heat waves. These climate changes plays an important role in shaping our natural ecosystem, our human economics and also the most important, it affects the human race. For
James. R. (1989). El Nino and La Nina. El Nino, La Nina and the Southern Oscillation, (46), 12-13.
The Earth’s biosphere is being affected by climate change in numerous ways. The interactions that occur between the hydrosphere and atmosphere are leading to changes in our ocean’s chemistry that could be devastating to humans in the future generations to come. Climate change is the modification in the climate patterns. The effects of climate change have become particularly apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and have been substantially contributed to by the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
In 2013, the world went through a huge unusual climate change. With for example, the typhoon
The Web. 04 Feb. 2014 -. The Effects of Global Warming. National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Ocean Events." GRACE â Uncovering the 2010-11 Decline in Global Mean Sea Level and Its Relation to ENSO (October, 2012). N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
McMean, G. (2007, June). Artic climate impact assessment (C. Symon, Ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge Univercity Press. http://www.acia.uaf.edu/pages/scientific.html
Roach, John. Global Warming May Alter Atlantic Currents. 27 June 2005. National Geographic News. 24 Jan 2012 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/72476778.html
An El Nino happens in intervals of 3-7 years. The formation of this is related to the Pacific Southern Oscillation which is also the cycling of the Pacific Ocean circulation. The Pacific Southern Oscillation (the change of atmospheric pressures) happens when the easterly trade winds collapse, weaken, or even reverse. As this happens, the upwelling stops. The slight weakening of the winds cause a small change in sea surface temperatures, and the wind and pressure changes increase. The warm water of the western Pacific Ocean flow eastward and sea surface temperatures increase on the western coast of South America. When this occurs, the wet weather conditions (originally in the western Pacific) move east, and dry conditions (normally in the east) appear in the west.
Four NOMAD buoys across the North Atlantic registered a 13-degree drop in SST. And soon a series of extreme weather happened in front of my eyes: hurricanes, snow storms, and even cyclones that rapidly pulled cool air from the upper troposphere which made people freeze instantly. Those were the scenes I saw from The Day after Tomorrow, the film that inspired my curiosity in atmospheric sciences in my seventh grade. Although shocked by the catastrophe caused by global warming in the film, I couldn't help take an eager interest in how freshwater from melted polar ice caps brought a shift in the North Atlantic Current, and how the shifted current brought a change in the earth’s climate. Later, as I gathered more information about the climate, I became fascinated by the physical and dynamical mechanisms explaining atmospheric phenomenon. And after three years of undergraduate study of atmospheric sciences, beyond the starting point of fascination, I have taken concrete steps forward with my hard work, independence, and creativity.
Solomon, S. (Ed.). (2007). Climate change 2007-the physical science basis: Working group I contribution to the fourth assessment report of the IPCC (Vol. 4, pg 501). Cambridge University Press.
As defined by the Oxford dictionary, climate change is, “a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.” (Oxford Dictionaries) Moreover, evidence of climate change can be found all over the world, and in many different forms, but is especially prevalent in certain regions. For instance, in Southeast Asia, specifically the nation of the Philippines, signs of climate change can be observed frequently, if not regularly. One major ...
Climate change is a long-term alteration in the statistical distribution of weather pattern over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. The world is currently experiencing drastic change in temperature. This change can be felt in the tropical climate areas where the weather is getting hotter and hotter every day. The change in global temperatures and precipitation over time is due to natural variability or to human activity. It is also caused by accumulation of greenhouse effects (Arrhenius, 1896). Should we as humans let this problem worsen? Climate change will affect everything including humans, flora and fauna, and the environment.