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During a El Nino cycle there are many biological changes. Due to a depressed thermocline there is less photosynthetic activity resulting in a decrease in the primary life forms that form the beginning of the food chain. The warmer waters that are brought by these changing cycles hold less dissolved oxygen forcing fish to go deeper or venture elsewhere. Due to a lack of data during El Nino occurrences it is not fully known if fish populations are depleted solely due to exposure to El Nino. A decrease in their growth and reproductive success has been observed by many surveys in coastal waters.
The link between climatic effects around the world and El Nino is now well established. It has taken many years of studying to understand how the pieces of the puzzle, from ocean currents to winds and heavy rains fit together. During the 1920s a scientist was on assignment in India trying to predict the Asian monsoons. As he sorted through his records he discovered a connection between barometer readings at stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noticed that when pressure rises in the west it usually falls in the east and vice versa. He coined this term Southern Oscillation. When it is on its high index state pressure is high on the eastern side of the Pacific and low on the western side (figure 1). The east west pressure contrast drives easterly surface winds. When it switches into low index (figure 2) the easterly surface winds weaken. The biggest changes are over the western Pac
Names mentioned in this term paper
El Nino,
Locations referenced in this report
Indonesia, Peru,
Keywords included in this report
surface water, Pacific, ocean, ocean currents, southern united states, heavy rain, early stages, food chain, sea surface temperatures, easterlies, surface currents, equador, upwelling, monsoon, droughts, Indonesia, coastal waters, tropical storms, pressure, water vapor, degrees celsius, conditions, western canada, Galapagos islands, Peru, wintertime, northern peru, atmospheric pressure, southern california, sea level, Northern Hemisphere, reproductive success, severe weather, a decade, 10 miles, South America, ground level, forest fires, world economy, calendar year, fish, dateline, Oscillation, barometers, climates, Ecuador, stream, Australia, thermocline, distort,
