El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a
band of anomalously warm ocean water related to changes in oceanic currents and
trade winds. El Niño represents a general warming of surface sea temperatures
along the Eastern Pacific, and a lessening or reversal of NE trade winds,
creating warm humid air and reducing upwelling of cold waters resulting in
dramatic perturbations to maritime and terrestrial flora and fauna.
El Niño events are differentiated
by intensity and duration, or a combination of both. Particularly extreme or
intense events as in 1983/84, or 1997/98 are referred to as Mega El Niño that
appear to have their origins 5800 years ago. Such climatic and oceanographic
perturbations have dramatic impacts upon human
adaptation and sociocultural development. These climatic and oceanographic
alterations create a reduction of upwelling cold waters along the west coast of
South America.
These climatic changes result in
dramatic perturbations to maritime and terrestrial flora and fauna and, consequently,
human adaptation. El Niño events are differentiated by their intensity and
duration, or a combination of both. Particularly extreme or intense events as
in 1983/84, or 1997/98 are referred to as Mega El Niño which appear to have
their origins 5800 years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment