Which phenomenon is essentially the opposite of El Niño?

Which phenomenon is essentially the opposite of El Niño?

• A. La Niña
• B. El Niño
• C. Neutral
• D. Pacific Decadal Oscillation

Answer: (A)

La Niña is the opposite of El Niño in the way the Pacific Ocean surface temperatures and winds behave. El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific and often weaker trade winds, which together shift weather patterns worldwide. La Niña flips that scenario: cooler-than-average waters in the same regions and stronger trade winds, which enhances upwelling of deep, cooler water and tends to produce opposite weather effects in many regions. Neutral is when neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions dominate, with more typical or average conditions. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a longer-term fluctuation in Pacific climate, not simply the opposite phase of El Niño, so it’s not the direct counterpart. So, the opposite phenomenon is La Niña.

La Niña is the opposite of El Niño in the way the Pacific Ocean surface temperatures and winds behave. El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific and often weaker trade winds, which together shift weather patterns worldwide. La Niña flips that scenario: cooler-than-average waters in the same regions and stronger trade winds, which enhances upwelling of deep, cooler water and tends to produce opposite weather effects in many regions. Neutral is when neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions dominate, with more typical or average conditions. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a longer-term fluctuation in Pacific climate, not simply the opposite phase of El Niño, so it’s not the direct counterpart. So, the opposite phenomenon is La Niña.