Geology

El Nino, La Nina and Indian Monsoon El Niño:  1. What is El Niño? El Niño is a climate phenomenon that refers to the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is part of the larger climate pattern known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which includes both El Niño and its counterpart, La Niña. The term "El Niño" was originally used by fishermen in South America to describe a warm ocean current that appeared around Christmas time, but over time it has come to represent the broader ocean-atmosphere phenomenon.  How Does El Niño Develop? Normal Conditions (Pre-El Niño): Under normal, non-El Niño conditions, trade winds blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean, pushing warm water towards the western Pacific, near Asia and Australia. This causes cold water to rise from the depths in the eastern Pacific (off the coast of South America), a process known as upwelling. The warm waters in the west a...