Climate’s troublesome kids – El Niño and El Niña

Abstract

Water Kidz Water We don’t often think about the ocean and its influence over our climate, even though it covers so much of the Earth’s surface. While the sun is the engine that drives all weather on Earth, the ocean and atmosphere steer the sun’s energy along certain paths to produce both regional climate and individual weather phenomena. The ocean plays a crucial role in determining climate because of its ability to absorb, store and transport heat from the sun. Ocean water also affects atmospheric temperature and circulation around the world. In addition, seawater is the source of most precipitation (e.g. rain). Normally trade winds blow from east to east cross the tropical Pacific, pushing water away from the South American coast and piling it up around Indonesia. As a result, the sea level is usually about half a metre higher in Indonesia than it is on the coast of Ecuador and Peru. The offshore movement of surface water causes cold, nutrient-rich water to well up from the ocean depths to replace it.

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