El Niño Phenomena 2010 (3rd Grading-No. 7)

El Nino is a natural weather phenomenon that disrupts the climate of the tropical Pacific Ocean. However, it has great consequences on the weather around the world, such as more rain in the southern United States of America and in Peru, and droughts in Indonesia, Australia and much of Asia.

El Nino is characterized by the weakening or reversal of trade winds blowing across the tropical Pacific Ocean. During an El Nino, these trade winds blow across the surface of the water from east, off the coast of Indonesia and Australia, to the west, to the coast of Peru. This blowing of the trade winds across the surface of the ocean brings warm surface water, which is heated by the sun, to the western coasts of South America.

Regions of low pressure are formed over the warm surface waters, causing moisture-rich air from the high-pressure regions over the other parts of the ocean to rush into the low-pressure region over the western coast off South America (if you remember, there is a body of warm surface water off the coasts of South America). This moisture rich air brings rains to North and South America, but brings drought to Asia.

Usually, the heating of the surface of the ocean waters off the western coast of South America during an El Nino begins in summer and gradually builds till the end of the year, when the ocean waters are the warmest. Then, the El Nino will be over by the next summer.

During non-El Nino conditions, the trade winds blow across the equatorial Pacific Ocean from the west, off the coast of South America, eastwards, towards Indonesia and Australia. This causes the warm surface waters of the ocean to be held back against the coasts of Indonesia and Australia, resulting in rains and monsoon seasons across Asia and Australia, and droughts in South America.

Peruvian sailors had to deal with the change in temperature of the water that affected the food change. Since this reversal of the water flow usually peaked around the Christian Christmas holiday, these sailors named it "El Nino" meaning "the Christ Child" in Spanish.

Quick Facts:

1976-77: This El Nino spread severe cold over the eastern United States, and drought in the west. The Polar regions of the world turned so cold that bears didn't hibernate that winter, and 85 percent of the ground was covered with snow during January 1977. In Miami, Florida, there were reports of snow flurries, and in Buffalo, New York, snow drifts were two stories high. Can you say cold?

1982-83: In North America during this El Nino, there was very strange weather, while Australia suffered from a terrible drought and devastating bushfires. The countries on the edge of the Sahel Desert suffered from major drought, and the monsoons failed in the Indian Ocean. Total damages ranged from $8 billion to $13 billion, and 2,000 lives were lost.

1990-95: This El Nino wasn't known for its harshness, but for the length. This was the longest recorded El Nino.

Questions:

1. What can El Niño do to the world, particularly to the Philippines?
(Ano ang mga epektong dulot ng El Niño Phenomena sa Pilipinas?)

2. What can you suggest to minimize its effects to our country?
(Ano ang pwede nating gawin para labanan ang masamang epektong dulot ng El Niño?)