El Nino
What is El Niño?
El Niño is when ocean water in the central and eastern Pacific becomes warmer than normal.
What is La Niña?
La Niña is when ocean water in the central and eastern Pacific becomes cooler than normal.
What is the global ocean conveyor belt?
It is a worldwide system of ocean currents that moves water around the planet.
What are deep ocean currents?
Deep ocean currents are large movements of water that flow deep below the ocean surface.
What are surface currents?
Surface currents are movements of ocean water near the surface.
What happens to trade winds during El Niño?
The trade winds become weaker.
What happens to trade winds during La Niña?
The trade winds become stronger.
What causes the global ocean conveyor belt?
It is mainly driven by differences in water temperature and salinity.
What causes deep ocean currents?
They are mainly caused by differences in water temperature and salinit
What causes surface currents?
They are mainly caused by global winds.
How does El Niño affect weather?
t can cause more rain in some areas and drought in others.
How does La Niña affect weather?
It can cause more rain in some areas and drought in others
What happens to cold, salty water?
It becomes dense and sinks deep into the ocean.
What happens to cold, salty water?
Cold, salty water becomes denser and sinks.
How does the Coriolis effect affect surface currents?
It causes currents to curve because of Earth’s rotation.
How does El Niño affect marine life?
Warmer water can reduce nutrients available to fish and other marine animals.
How does La Niña affect marine life?
Cooler water brings more nutrients to the surface, helping marine life.
Why is the global ocean conveyor belt important?
It distributes heat, nutrients, and oxygen around the oceans.
Why are deep ocean currents important?
They move nutrients and heat around the world and help regulate Earth’s climate.
Why are surface currents important?
They move heat around the planet and affect weather and climate.
How often does El Niño happen?
It usually occurs every 2–7 years.
How often does La Niña happen?
It usually occurs every 2–7 years.
How does it affect climate?
It helps regulate Earth's climate by moving warm and cold water around the world.
What is the global conveyor belt?
It is a worldwide system of ocean currents that moves water through the deep and surface oceans.
What is an example of a surface current?
The Gulf Stream is a major warm surface current that moves water from the Gulf of Mexico toward the North Atlantic.