Witter: Climate Example

Example: El Nino and Winds Observing winds can reveal changes in global-scale and regional climate. For example, wind patterns in the tropical Pacific ocean differ depending on whether the climate is in a "normal" or an "El Nino" state.

Under normal conditions:
Easterly winds blow strongly into the western tropical Pacific, forcing atmospheric convection west of the dateline and oceanic upwelling in the eastern tropical Pacific.

Under El Nino conditions:
The easterly winds are weaker and the region of strong atmospheric convection is located farther east. Oceanic upwelling in the eastern tropical Pacific is much weaker.

Changes of wind at the sea surface reveal changes of climate over a broad region of both the atmosphere and ocean.

Can you name another climate patterns which is associated with changes in the wind?

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) discussed in the last

workshop

is one example. Because the NAO is associated with

changes in the

location of storms over the North Atlantic Ocean, this pattern will be

represented in wind observations.

Previous

Next