What do you understand by the phenomenon of ENSO?
Answer:
- Normally, when the tropical eastern south pacific ocean experiences high pressure, the tropical eastern Indian Ocean experiences low pressure.
- But in certain years, there is a reversal in the pressure conditions and the eastern pacific has low pressure in comparison to the Indian Ocean.
- This periodic change in pressure conditions is known as Southern Oscillation (SO).
- The difference in pressure over Tahiti, in the Pacific Ocean and Darwin in northern Australia is computed to predict the intensity of the monsoon.
- A feature connected with the SO is the El Nino, a warm ocean current that flows past the Peruvian coast, in place of the cold Peruvian current every 2 to 5 years.
- The changes in pressure conditions are connected to the El Nino. Hence, the phenomena is referred to as ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillations).