2-10: Climate Variability (El Niño, La Niña)

Figure 1 - Relationship between the Southern Ocillation and El Nino. Lutgens, Frederick K., and Edward J. Tarbuck, 1986: the Atmosphere. An Introduction to Meteorology. Prentice Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NY. pg 214.

Figure 2 - Weather Changes


Related Class Images

Time series of selected variables whose interannual variability is related to the ENSO phenomenon.

Sea-surface temperature anomalies from 1968 - 1984.

A schematic diagram of the PNA pattern of middle and upper-tropospheric geopotential height anomalies during a NH winter that coincides with El Nino conditions.

Cross section of the current system off the Peruvian coastline.

Walker cell circulation.

Schematic diagram of areas and times of the year with a consistent ENSO precipitation signal and monthly tropical sea surface and land air temperature anomalies 1961-1989.

Average May-June 1988 SST anomalies and average May-June 1988 OLR anomalies.

Average geopotential height anomalies at 300 mb for April-May-June 1988.

Sea surface temperature anomalies

Calculated OLR for DJF 1982-1983

Observed SSTA for December 1991

Northern hemisphere winter

Contours of the composite SST anomaly taken from ship track data angenerated by the six El Ninos between 1949 and 1981.