broad category
ENSO stands for..
what is- El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
What does El Niño involve?
trade winds weaken
warm water pushed back east
what makes Nina different from Nino
La Niña refers to the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific.
As wind speed increases, pressure _____.
increases
What is the SOI index based on?
the observed sea level pressure, differences between Tahiti and Darwin, Australia.
How often does El Niño occur?
Every 2-7 years
there's no "scheduled" time
How does la Nina affect hurricanes?
It increases the hurricanes activity
Will low wind shear hurricanes strengthen or weaken when upper level?
weaken
What relationship is there between El Niño and North Atlantic hurricanes? La Niña and North Atlantic hurricanes?
El Niño favors stronger hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific basins, and suppresses it in the Atlantic basin
By what three ways can we tell that there may be an El Niño?
the surface winds are weaker than usual, Ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than average, and rainfall is below average over Indonesia and above average over the central or eastern Pacific.
What is the most important thing to know bout la Nina?
Winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North
The very tall column of low density air in the center of circulation is the ___.
eye
how do hurricanes form?
When humid air is flowing upward at a zone of low pressure over warm ocean water, the water is released from the air, creating clouds that grow into a strong storm.
why is Nino different from Nina
El Niño refers to the above-average sea-surface temperatures that periodically develop across the east-central equatorial Pacific.
Does a La Niña always follow an El Niño?
No, a La Niña episode may, but does not always follow an El Niño.
What is the area of high pressure over the Atlantic that exists every summer called?
Bermuda High
How does atmospheric pressure change in and around thunderstorms?
Where the rain is falling, the pressure goes up by a few millibars. This is because as the rain falls, some of it evaporates, which makes the air cooler and heavier.
how does an El Nino affect people?
AN El Nino can make extreme weather events more likely in certain regions, including extreme heat, droughts, storms and flooding.
What causes La Niña?
a buildup of cooler-than-normal subsurface waters in the tropical Pacific. easterly trade winds strengthen, cold up welling off the west coast of South America and along the equator intensifies, and sea-surface temperatures drop below normal.
What weakens Bermuda Highs?
Wind shear, landfall, mountainous islands, cold water, sitting in one place too long, eyewall replacement cycle