Physic side:

El Niño
La Niña
Definition:
El Niño and La Niña are two different things how can affect the atmosphere and the seawater.
The La Niña causes warmer seawater and can cause more hurricanes. On the next two
pictures I will show you the different between an El Niño and a La Niña.

El Niño:

This picture shows how the El Niño affects the seawater and the weather in the colored area.

La Niña:
I will first explain the colours in the picture, after that I will explain something more about the
El Niño and La Niña.

Colour: Meaning:
Cool air
Wet air
Dry and cool air
Warm and dry air
Cool and Wet air
Wet and Cool air
Warm air
Dry
Wet and Warm

As you can see if there is El Niño conditions, which affects the water in the Atlantic Ocean,
the seawater changes dramatic. The ocean atmosphere and also the seawater become colder
and even weather condition become wetter. So more rainfall in the Caribbean area.

The normal conditions for the Pacific Ocean are the warm water in the west and cold water in
the area of the South American coast line. That is the reason, why hurricanes can’t approach
San Francisco in normal conditions of the seawater.
The El Niño conditions causes that the warmer water comes in the area of the South American
coast line. The normal conditions of the colder air do not take place and this cause for
increasing warmer air and seawater.
The La Niña causes only that the warmer water is further west than usually. These
phenomenon most have a magnitude 0.5 Celsius and most last long for more than 5 months to
name it a El Niño or La Niña episode (year). If this is not, but the magnitude is over the 0.5
Celsius, than these ocean conditions called El Niño or La Niña conditions. One episode of an
El Niño or La Niña can last for 2 years with a break of 2-7 years.

Signs:
El Niño:
• Higher air pressure in the area of the Indian Ocean, Indonesia and Australia
• Lower air pressure in the area of Tahiti and central and eastern Pacific Ocean
• Trade winds weaken in the south Pacific
• Warmer air in Peru, with causes rainfall in the dessert of Peru
• Decreased fishing activity in Peru
• Extensive drought in the West Pacific Ocean
• Rainfall in dry areas of the East Pacific Ocean

La Niña:
• Cold ocean temperatures in the East Pacific Ocean
• Atlantic hurricane activity can be increased by the La Niña episode. This means, that
the hurricanes or tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, can be better developed and
also more dangerous than in a non La Niña year.
Stages:
El Niño:

Stage 1:
The seawater is getting warmer
by the effects of the El Niño.

Stage 2:
The seawater is still getting
warmer. The blue (colder) areas are
slowly disappearing.

Stage 3:
The evolution of the El Niño is
almost done. The blue areas are
almost gone, only in the north
and the south. In these areas is
still colder seawater. As you look
to the equator, the seawater
around this area is very hot in
compare to the first stage.
 Stage 4:
The evolution from the El Niño is
complete. The seawater on the
south coast of the Middle American
continent is very hot and all the
cooler seawater in this area is
almost gone. This is now a perfect
spot for hurricanes to develop.

These stages where made in the El Niño episode in 1997. Two years later after the El Niño a
La Niña episode reaches the Pacific Ocean.

La Niña:

Stage 1:
The seawater in the south area of
the Pacific Ocean is showing
some cooling. But the Atlantic
Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico is
getting hotter.

Stage 2:
The cooling is still in progress and
the warmer areas are slowly
disappearing to the west.
Stage 3:
The cooling process is almost
done. The warmer seawater
moved to the south and the west.
But on the Atlantic Ocean there
are still signs of the warmer
seawater, what can caused a
perfect spot for hurricanes to
develop!

Stage 4:
The La Niña evolution is complete.
The colder water has taking place
for the warmer seawater. Moreover
the seawater in the Atlantic Ocean
is still warmer than normal.

These stages represent the La Niña event in 1999. Short after the El Niño episode two years
earlier.
Sources:

http://facultyfiles.deanza.edu/images/gawrychjeff/sunrise.jpg
http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/tutorials/enso.shtml