Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
El Niño and La Niña
El Niño is a period of ocean warming in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. During the El Niño, the surface wa-
ters warm due to strong undercurrents of warm water inhibiting the upwelling of colder, nutrient-rich waters.
The air surface pressure increases in the western Pacific, resulting in milder climates in the northern United
States and Canada and wetter conditions in the eastern United States and regions of Peru and Ecuador, while
the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia become drier than normal. The frequency of Atlantic hurricanes is re-
duced as well. During La Niña years, water surface temperatures are colder than average in the eastern Pacific
Ocean. Both events occur in a three- to seven-year cycle, relating to large-scale atmospheric circulation.
Water Dynamics
The water cycle is considered one of Earth's biogeochemical cycles, but it is also very important to weather
patterns, ocean circulation, and most life on Earth. The water cycle is the most important cycle because it's re-
sponsible for the movement of many of Earth's nutrients and impacts other biogeochemical cycles.
Water Cycle
Of all the biogeochemical cycles, the water cycle is probably most familiar. Energy provided by solar radiation
fuels the cycle. Solar energy is absorbed by Earth's surfaces and bodies of water, increasing the heat content
