El Nino and la Nina FRQ question

[bella_isaacson]

do any of the biogeochemical cycles directly affect el Nino or la Nina? i am just wondering in case there is a question about this…

[sky-symonds]

I don’t believe that any of the biogeochemical cycles have a big effect on el Nino or la Nina. However, el Nino and la Nina have a pretty big effect on the hydrologic (water) cycle, because it affects trade winds and controls where monsoons and droughts occur in places like Australia, Indonesia, and California.

[bella_isaacson]

okay that makes sense, perfect!

[tanya-raman]

I’m just going to add to that: El Nino is the opposite of normal conditions while La Nina is the extreme version of normal conditions. The image below shows the flow of heat during all three conditions.

[bella_isaacson]

thank you!!!