El Niño and La Niña are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions. Scientists call these phenomena the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. El Niño and La Niña can both have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies. Episodes of El Niño and La Niña typically last nine to 12 months, but ...

El Niño isn’t all bad; some of the changes it causes in atmospheric circulation can reduce the chances of severe hurricanes in the North Atlantic. But many other changes are highly destructive and dangerous, so advance warning of El Niño’s approach is …

WITH EL NIÑO OBSERVED EXPECTED FROM TREND WITH LA NIÑA Boston, MA 7 --- 4 7 ---Providence, RI 2 --- 3 2 ---New London, CT--- --- 2 --- ---Montauk, NY 3 6 3 3 2 Kings Point, NY 18 --- 12 18 ---Battery (NYC), NY 5 --- 6 5 ---Sandy Hook, …

• An El Niño is forecasted to begin strengthening in the fall. Along the east coast, atmospheric patterns during El Niño typically drive extratropical storms closer to the coast. They also change wind patterns which push water higher along the coast. This creates a combination of higher sea levels and a higher

seasons. There are also natural cycles such as El Niño that cause climate conditions to be different from year-to-year. These differences are part of natural climate variability, but they are not the same as climate change. Earth’s climate has changed many times in the past, and is changing now. Studies of tree rings show that Earth’s average

The Discover Your World with NOAA activity book for Teachers and Students

Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Thousands of species rely on reefs for survival. Millions of people all over the world also depend on coral reefs for food, protection and jobs. This tutorial is an overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them. It includes images, animations, and videos.

El Niño. Disease Fallout from Extreme Weather In many regions, it is already raining less often but harder. According to The Physical Science Basis, trends from 1900 to 2005 show significantly increased precipi-tation in many regions, including eastern parts of North and South America. More intense and longer droughts have occurred

Their fate, like that of the Incas thousands of miles and hundreds of years from them, was tied to the variations of a climatic system whose mysteries scientists are only beginning to understand, the El Niño/ Southern Oscillation

• What are some of the weather related effects of El Niño? • What might be some economic effects of El Niño? 4. Give students background information/definition of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) from the NOAA Fisheries Service website. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a climate index based upon patterns of variation in sea