Transcript breitkreitzPR2part3x

Shanese Breitkreitz
Meaning – La Nina
The little girl
 El Viejo – Old Man
 A cold event
 A cold episode

What is La Nina?
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Cold phase of
ENSO
Unusually cold
ocean temperatures
in the eastern
equatorial Pacific.
Winds move warm
water allowing cold
underwater to rise to
the surface
Why La Nina Occurs
Changes in tropical Pacific and large
modulations of the jet stream
 Shifting of the point where the stream
normally crosses North America
 Overall changes in atmosphere result in
temp and precipitation abnormalities
over North America

Where La Nina Occurs

South America
 Coast of Peru
 Coast of Chile
 Northern Brazil

North America
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North Midwest
Northern Rockies
Northern California
Pacific Northwest’s southern and eastern
regions
When La Nina Occurred

Previously La Nina has occurred in:
 1904
 1955
 1908
 1964
 1910
 1970
 1916
 1973
 1924
 1975
 1928
 1988
 1938
 1995
 1950
Characteristics
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Unusually cold ocean temperatures in the
eastern equatorial pacific
Below average precipitation in the southwestern and south eastern states
Above average precipitation in the Northwest
Drought in the coastal regions of Peru and
Chile
Wetter than normal in northern Brazil
between December and Fabruary
Discoveries
The head of the Indian Meteorological
Service, Sir Gilbert Walker, recognized
patterns in the rainfall in South America, in
the 1920’s
 Further study led to the realization that
monsoons in Asia, under certain conditions
where linked to droughts in some areas of
the world.
 The connection between the changes of
weather from La Nina was not noticed until
the late 1960’s by Norwegian
meteorologist, Jacob Bjerknes.
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Meaning – El Nino
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In the 1500’s, fishermen in South
America wondered about a current of
unusually warm water that came to
shore ever few years around Christmas.
They believed in the birth of Jesus
Christ celebrated at Christmas and
decided to name the hot water
El Nino, meaning ‘the infant’ in
Spanish.
What is El Nino
Warm phase of ENSO
 Warm wind and water that drift toward
land
 Unusually warm air and water
temperatures along the South American
and North American
coast

Why El Nino Occurs
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Causes are still being investigated
Where El Nino Occurs
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South America
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Peru
Ecuador
Chile
Brazil
Argentina
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North America
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Western Canada
Eastern Canada
Northwest Mexico
Southwest United
States
 Northwest United
States
 Northmidwest United
States
 Northmideast United
States
When El Nino Occurs

Previously El Nino has occurred in:
 1986
 1991-92
 1994-95
 2002-03
 2004-05
 2009-10
Characteristics
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Rise in surface pressure over the Indian
Ocean, Indonesia, and Australia.
Fall of pressure over the central and
eastern pacific ocean
Trade winds in the south pacific weaken or
head east
Warm air rises near Peru
Warm water spreads for west Pacific and
the Indian Ocean to the east Pacific
Drought in western Pacific
More rainfall in eastern Pacific