El Niño

Name: _________________________________       Date: _____________

El Niño plays havoc with Earth's weather. Some areas get heavy rain and floods. Others have more forest fires and drought. What exactly is El Niño? You'll find out in this Planet Diary activity.

1. Start at NASA's El Niño page. What is El Niño?
2. What changes does it typically cause?
3. Contrast ocean and atmospheric conditions in El Niño and non-El Niño years.
4. Go to Learn More About El Niño. How did El Niño get its name?
5. What is La Niña?
6. Take a look at the JPL's Historical El Niño/La Niña watch. How do the map colors in the equatorial Pacific Ocean differ in El Niño and La Niña years?
7. Go to NASA's El Niño/La Niña Watch. Explore the most recent satellite maps. Are we currently having El Niño, La Niña, or neither?
8. El Niño can also affect hurricane formation. Read this Planet Diary report Busy Hurricane Season Predicted. Explain how El Niño affected the number of Atlantic hurricanes in 2009.