El Nino Phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean - Essay Example

In normal years, ocean current flows to the north towards the Equator down the western coast of South America. The water on the ocean surface was being drawn away from the continent and to be replaced by cold nutrient-rich water pushed upwards from the ocean depth. This process is known as upwelling. During this season, a good harvest is anticipated by fishermen in the area. Further, colder weather is experienced by the people living in this area since the ocean surface is cold during this time.

During El Niño year, the warm pool of water flows eastward until it spreads in the entire Pacific Ocean. For this reason, the cool water of the South American coast is replaced by warmer waters, thus weakening the upwelling process (Trenberth 1997). In effect, the surface of the sea temperature rises beyond the normal range. This occurrence means heavy rainfall and eventual flooding in some South American countries and drought and very dry seasons in Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Northeastern South America with altered patterns of tropical storms in the tropical belt (Enfield n.d.). Global warming is also a great contributor to this kind of phenomenon.

Coastal warming is being associated with a more widespread irregular ocean warming to the International Dateline and it is this Pacific basin-wide phenomenon that forms the link with strange global climate patterns. This component joined to El Niño is called the Southern Oscillation (Trenberth 1997). ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) is the phenomenon where the atmosphere and ocean collaborate together. The El Nino phenomenon is the warm phase of ENSO, and its opposite, La Niña, the occurrence where cooling of the tropical Pacific takes place corresponds to the cold phase of ENSO.

The El Niño, or ENSO for scientists, can be considered a normal occurrence based on nature patterns studied by some scientists. But still, it greatly affects the global climate and has adverse effects not only on those who are experiencing it but also in other parts of the globe. Where there is El Niño, the other part of the world experiences La Niña. It is for this reason that each individual should take part in lessening the ill effects of this phenomenon. Water shortage for agricultural irrigation, scarcity of crops, and even power generations are some of the long-term effects of El Niño. It is known that the El Niño phenomenon cannot be stopped, but at least minimizing its effects would be of help.