EL NINO & LA NINA

Walker Circulation or Cell

• Walker circulation occurs during
normal years.
• The Walker Circulation (Walker
Cell) is caused by the pressure
gradient force that results from
a high pressure system over the
eastern Pacific ocean, and a low
pressure system over western pacific
Ocean (Near Indonesia).
• It will be generally clockwise.
 Normal Conditions
• In a normal year, near coastal regions of
Peru and Ecuador countries Peruvian
cold ocean current travels or flows
hence a high pressure region develops.
• The trade winds over the Pacific Ocean
move strongly from east to west and
carries warm water hence low
pressure develops in the region
of northern Australia and Indonesia.
• The easterly flow of the trade winds carries warm surface waters westward,
bringing convective storms (thunderstorms) to Indonesia and coastal
Australia.
• Along the coast of Peru, nutrient-rich cold water comes up to the surface to
replace the warm water that is pulled to the west.
• Fishes follows the nutrients and comes near Peruvian coast which helps
fishermen to get more income and benefits.
 El Nino
• In Spanish word the phrase “El Niño”
refers to the Christ Child or “The Boy”
and was coined by fishermen along the
coasts of Ecuador and Peru to describe
the warming of the central and eastern
pacific.
• El Nino is the name given to
the occasional development of
warm ocean surface waters along the
coast of Ecuador and Peru.
• El Nino events occur irregularly at intervals of 2–7 years.
• When this warming occurs the usual up welling of cold, nutrient-rich deep
ocean water is significantly reduced at Peruvian coast.
• Sometimes an extremely warm event can develop that lasts for much longer
time periods & affects surrounding weather conditions.
• In the 1990s, strong El Ninos developed in 1991 and lasted until 1995, and
from fall 1997 to spring 1998.
 La Nina
• In Spanish word “La Nina” refers to
“The Girl” which is the indication of
goodness or Wealth (Laksmi).
• However, in some years the trade winds
can become extremely strong and an
abnormal accumulation of cold water
can occur in the central and eastern
Pacific or near the coasts of Peru &
Ecuador countries. This event is called
La Nina.
• A strong La Nina occurred in 1988 and scientists believe that it may have been
responsible for the summer drought over central North America.
• During this period, the Atlantic Ocean has seen very active hurricane
seasons in 1998 and 1999.
• Hurricanes are tropical cyclones that develops in Caribbean sea.
 The El Nino Modoki
• El Nino Modoki is a phenomenon in the
Central Pacific Ocean.
• It is different from another
phenomenon in the tropical Pacific
Ocean namely, El Nino.
• Conventional El Nino is characterized by
warming in the eastern part of Pacific
Ocean near Peruvian & Ecuador coast.
• Whereas, El Nino Modoki is associated with strong warming in the central
Pacific and cooling in the Eastern and Western tropical Pacific Ocean.
• It causes evaporation, condensation, cloud formation and rainfall at central
part of tropical pacific ocean and drought like situation at Western & Eastern
parts of Pacific Ocean.
 The La Nina Modoki
• La Nino Modoki is a phenomenon in the
Central Pacific Ocean.
• It is different from another
phenomenon in the tropical Pacific
ocean namely, La Nina.
• La Nina is characterized by cooling in
the eastern part of Pacific ocean near
Peruvian & Ecuador coast.
• Whereas, La Nina Modoki is associated with strong cooling in the Central
Pacific and warming in the eastern and western tropical Pacific ocean.
• It causes evaporation, condensation, cloud formation and rainfall in western
and Eastern parts of tropical pacific ocean.
 Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)
• As Eli Nino and La Nina are an events in the Pacific Ocean, in a similar ways
Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is an event or phenomenon in the Indian Ocean.
• Alternative warming and cooling of Western and Eastern parts of Indian
Ocean is known as Indian Ocean Dipole. It was discovered in the year 1999.
• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is defined by the difference in sea surface
temperature between two areas (or poles, hence a dipole) – a western pole in
the Arabian Sea (Western Indian Ocean) and an Eastern pole in the Eastern
Indian Ocean South of Indonesia.
• IOD develops in the equatorial region of the Indian Ocean from April to May
and peaks in October.
• With Positive IOD winds over the Indian Ocean blow from East to West (from
Bay of Bengal towards the Arabian Sea). This results in the Arabian Sea (the
western Indian Ocean near the African Coast) being much warmer and
the eastern Indian Ocean around Indonesia becoming colder and dry.
• In the negative dipole year (negative IOD), the reverse happens to make
Indonesia much warmer and rainier.
CYCLONES & ANTICYCLONES
Cyclone
• The term 'Cyclone' is derived from the
Greek word 'Cyclos' which means
'Coiling of the Snake’ or “moving in a
circle, whirling around.”
• The term Cyclone coined by Henry
Piddington.
• The central point of cyclone is known
as eye of cyclone and surrounding
region is known as eye wall of cyclone.
 Types Of Cyclones
Based on location of formation, there are two types of cyclones:
1. Tropical Cyclone
2. Temperate Cyclone
1. Tropical Cyclone
Why Tropical Cyclones forms only on sea surface?
These cyclones forms only on the surfaces of large water bodies like Sea and they
never form on land surface.
1. Tropical cyclones derive their energy from the warm tropical oceans and do
not form unless the sea-surface temperature is above 27°C.
2. Cyclones need the moisture from the sea in order to form the huge clouds.
3. Also, sea temperatures by and large remain constant and vary very little,
which helps in the genesis and the further growth of a cyclone.
 Conditions Favourable for Tropical Cyclone
Formation
1. Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C.
2. A pre-existing weak low-pressure area over sea surface.
3. Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a circular pattern.
Note: Coriolis force is minimum at equator hence cyclones will not form.
4. Less or no vertical movement of wind at sea surface. It helps to maintain
stratification of warm and cold water.
5. Less speed of winds at sea surface.
6. Upper divergence of winds above the sea level and convergence at sea level.
2. Temperate Cyclone
• These forms outside the tropical region hence they are also known as Extra
Tropical Cyclone.
• These forms on both land and sea surfaces.
• These cyclones forms due to formation of fronts by cold and warm air masses.
• These are active above the mid-latitudinal region between 35° and 65° latitude
in both the hemispheres due to strong westerlies and polar easterlies.
• The direction of movement is from West to East and more pronounced in the
winter seasons.
 Different Names of Cyclones
• Tropical Cyclone – Indian Ocean

• Typhoon-China Sea

• Willy Willy-Australia

• Hurricane-Caribbean Sea

• Tornado -USA
 Naming of Cyclones
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific (ESCAP) have been naming cyclones
since 2000 with the help of RSMC (Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres)
There are six RSMC in the world, including the India Meteorological Department
(IMD).
 The naming of the tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean commenced

from September 2004.

 64 names were suggested by group of 8 countries.
 Eight member countries are Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman,

Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

1. South-West Indian Ocean:
RSMC La Reunion-Tropical Cyclone Centre-France
2. Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea:
New Delhi -India Meteorological Department
3. Western North Pacific Ocean and South China Sea:
RSMC Tokyo-Typhoon Centre/Japan Meteorological Agency
4. Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific Oceans:
National Hurricane Centre, USA.
5. South-West Pacific Ocean:
RSMC Nadi -Fiji Meteorological Service
6. Central North Pacific Ocean:
RSMC Honolulu - Central Pacific Hurricane Centre, USA
 New List
• Five new member countries joined this group in the year 2018.
 Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• Total 13 member countries were tabled during the 45th session of WMO held
in September 2018.
• The session was hosted by Oman.
• New list includes 169 names. Every country suggested 13 names each.
 Guidelines To Name Cyclones
1. Member Countries are to be arranged in alphabetical order.
2. The proposed name must be neutral to politics and political figures, religious
beliefs, cultures and genders.
3. It must not hurt the sentiments of any group of people across the world.
4. It must not be rude and cruel in nature.
5. The name must be short, easy to pronounce and inoffensive to any member.
6. It must be of a maximum of eight letters and be given with its pronunciation
and voice over.
7. The names of cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean will not be
repeated. Once used, it will cease to be used again.
 Cyclone Anticyclone
A cyclone is an area of low pressure where An anticyclone is an area of high pressure
air masses meet and rise. where air moves diverges and sinks.
It indicates bad weather, like rain and It indicates fair weather.
clouds.
Winds in a cyclone blow counter clockwise Winds in an anticyclone blow clockwise in
in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise the Northern Hemisphere and counter
in the Southern Hemisphere. clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

In a cyclone, air near the ground is pushed Air at the centre of an anticyclone is forced
toward the low-pressure centre of the away from its area of high pressure and
cyclone and then rises upward, expanding replaced by a downward blast of air from
and cooling as it moves. higher altitudes.
As it cools, the rising air becomes more The air compresses and heats up as it
humid, leading to cloudiness and high moves downward, reducing its humidity and
humidity within the cyclone. leading to fewer clouds within the
anticyclone.