Concept explainers
To determine: The type of conditions during in the fall of 2007, when California suffered severe wildfires.
Concept introduction: El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event is an interaction between the ocean-atmosphere climates, during which irregular temperature fluctuations occur in the equatorial Pacific Oceans. El Nino and La Nina are the two extremes of this El Nino Southern Oscillation. During an El Nino, warm water flows towards the west coast of South America and during a La Nina, cold water flows towards the western coast of South America. Occasionally, the water of the Pacific is neutral.
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- Sea Temperature To predict the effect of El Nio or La Nia events in the future, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration collects information about sea surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric conditions. They compare monthly temperature averages in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean to historical data and calculate the difference (the degree of anomaly) to determine if El Nio conditions, La Nia conditions, or neutral conditions are developing. El Nio is a rise in the average SST above 0.5C. A decline of the same amount is La Nia. FIGURE 47.8 shows data for 42 years. FIGURE 47.8 Sea surface temperature anomalies (difference from the historical mean) in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. A rise above the dashed red line is an El Nio event, a decline below the blue line is La Nia During a La Nia event, less rain than normal falls in the American West and Southwest. In the time interval shown, what was the longest interval without a La Nia event?arrow_forwardSea Temperature To predict the effect of El Nio or La Nia events in the future, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration collects information about sea surface temperature (SST) and atmospheric conditions. They compare monthly temperature averages in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean to historical data and calculate the difference (the degree of anomaly) to determine if El Nio conditions, La Nia conditions, or neutral conditions are developing. El Nio is a rise in the average SST above 0.5C. A decline of the same amount is La Nia. FIGURE 47.8 shows data for 42 years. FIGURE 47.8 Sea surface temperature anomalies (difference from the historical mean) in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. A rise above the dashed red line is an El Nio event, a decline below the blue line is La Nia What type or conditions were in effect in the fall of 2007 when California suffered severe wildfires?arrow_forwardThe warming trends discussed in the Case Study are most pronounced at the equator, where sunlight is most direct. What would you predict the effect of global warming to be nearer the poles, where temperatures are lower and there is less sunlight?arrow_forward
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