El Niño and La Niña Worksheet
Explore the causes, effects, and global impacts of El Niño and La Niña oceanic-atmospheric phenomena.
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El Niño and La Niña: Global Climate Patterns
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your knowledge. This worksheet assesses your understanding of El Niño and La Niña phenomena.
1. Which of the following best describes El Niño?
Unusually cold ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific.
A warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Increased upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water off the coast of Peru.
A strengthening of the trade winds across the equatorial Pacific.
2. What is a common effect of La Niña on the southern United States?
Increased rainfall and cooler temperatures.
Warmer and drier conditions, leading to drought.
More frequent hurricanes in the Atlantic.
No significant impact on weather patterns.
3. During an El Niño event, the trade winds , allowing warm water to spread eastward across the Pacific.
4. La Niña typically brings and conditions to the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
5. El Niño and La Niña are two phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
True
False
6. The fishing industry off the coast of Peru often thrives during an El Niño event due to increased upwelling.
True
False
7. Explain how El Niño can lead to increased rainfall in some parts of the world and drought in others.
Match each term with its correct description.
8. Trade Winds
a. The oscillation between El Niño and La Niña conditions.
9. Upwelling
b. The rising of cold, nutrient-rich water from deeper layers of the ocean.
10. ENSO
c. Prevailing easterly winds that blow near the equator.