Oceanography El Nino
Name__________________________
1. Which of the two dates presented below represents an El Nino situation?___________________
2. Which of the two dates presented below represents a La Nina situation?__________________
3. On the SST maps below, circle and label the evidence for the occurrence El Nino and La Nina.
4. On the ENSO Index on the bottom of the page, circle and label the time on the timeline that
these two events occurred.
October 24, 1997
January 8, 2000
5. What happens during an El Nino? From your notes and your book, describe what happens in the
equatorial Pacific. Be sure to include upwelling, atmospheric pressure, SSTs, sea surface heights,
and winds. Drawing a picture might help you.
6. On the maps on the previous page, can you see evidence for anomalous temperatures off shore
of central California? If so, what evidence do you see?
7. On the image below, which represents temperatures in Monterey Bay, do you see evidence for
these El Nino and La Nina events? If so, please circle them, label them, and explain what you
see.