El Niño and La Niña Explained

NOAA Ocean Today

This short video illustrates the phenomena of El Niño and La Niña: their relationships to tradewinds and surface water temperatures, and their effects on precipitation in North America.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Educator could use video as a short introduction to El Niño and La Niña and then allow for a more in-depth examination of factors that contribute to the conditions that lead to these phenomena, as well as the extreme weather situations that result from them. The resource could also be used as a refresher or review.
Video describes the basics of how trade winds and the movement of water in the Pacific Ocean cause El Niño and La Niña. Simple graphics show the winds and currents. The video touches on some of the effects of El Niño and La Niña, but does not go into much detail. Video emphasizes El Niño's effects on North America, but El Niño's effects are felt worldwide. Comments from expert scientist: Scientific strengths: - Excellent, simple graphic - Relates to the weather in N. America (jet stream) Suggestions: - lacks discussion on time-scales of El Nino/La Nina - lacks discussion of atmospheric pressure anomalies (but maybe too advanced for this resource) - Would be super helpful to introduce "thermocline" in narrative/graphic. the thermocline is there - just not defined
Because El Niño and La Niña are complicated topics, this short video is helpful to show a quick and simple explanation. The basic concept is reinforced by simple graphics and arrows illustrating the narration. The explanation is not complex, which is useful for audiences for whom a more technical explanation might be overwhelming. The oversimplified text presents a very broad-brush picture of El Niño and La Niña, raising many "why?" questions about the changing conditions that lead to these phenomena.