🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Define El Niño and La Niña and describe their effects on global weather patterns
- Read and interpret sea surface temperature (SST) graphs and anomaly maps
- Identify trends and patterns in real NOAA temperature datasets
- Apply the scientific method to make evidence-based predictions
- Analyze how trade winds and ocean upwelling affect climate patterns
- Communicate scientific findings effectively
📺 Part 1: Learn the Basics
Watch this video to understand El Niño and La Niña:
🌐 Additional Resources
Hover over each card to discover helpful websites!
NOAA Climate.gov
Official NOAA website with current El Niño/La Niña status and explanations
climate.gov/ensoNOAA Ocean Service
Easy-to-understand explanation of how El Niño and La Niña work
oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.htmlPMEL El Niño Theme Page
Detailed data, animations, and current conditions from NOAA's Pacific Marine Lab
pmel.noaa.gov/elnino📚 Part 2: Background Information
Normal Pacific Ocean Conditions
Under normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean:
- Trade winds blow from east to west along the equator (from South America toward Indonesia/Australia)
- These winds push warm surface water westward, where it "piles up" near Indonesia
- Cold, nutrient-rich water rises from the deep ocean along the coast of Peru (South America) - a process called upwelling
- This upwelling brings nutrients that support huge fish populations, especially anchovies
- Indonesia has warm water and lots of rainfall; Peru has cool water and dry conditions
El Niño Conditions (Warm Phase)
During El Niño:
- Trade winds weaken or even reverse direction
- Warm water that was piled up near Indonesia flows back eastward toward South America
- Upwelling decreases or stops along the Peruvian coast
- Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) become warmer than normal in the eastern equatorial Pacific
- This causes dramatic changes in global weather patterns and marine ecosystems
La Niña Conditions (Cool Phase)
During La Niña:
- Trade winds become stronger than normal
- Even more warm water is pushed westward toward Indonesia
- Upwelling increases along the Peruvian coast
- Sea surface temperatures become cooler than normal in the eastern equatorial Pacific
- Weather impacts are often opposite of El Niño
- El Niño: Heavy rain in Peru/South America, droughts in Indonesia/Australia, fewer Atlantic hurricanes, warmer/drier northern US, wetter southern US
- La Niña: Droughts in Peru/South America, heavy rain in Indonesia/Australia, more Atlantic hurricanes, colder/wetter northern US, drier southern US
- Economy: Affects fishing industries, agriculture, water supplies, and storm preparation
- SST (Sea Surface Temperature): The temperature of the ocean's surface water
- SST Anomaly: How much warmer or colder the ocean is compared to the long-term average temperature
- ONI (Oceanic Niño Index): A 3-month running average of SST anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region
- Positive anomaly (+): Warmer than average (shown in red/orange on maps)
- Negative anomaly (-): Colder than average (shown in blue on maps)
- Upwelling: The rising of cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface
- Trade winds: Easterly winds that blow near the equator
📊 Part 3: Analyze the Historical Record (1950-2024)
Let's examine 75 years of ocean temperature data to identify El Niño and La Niña patterns. The graph below shows Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies for the eastern equatorial Pacific.
- The vertical axis shows temperature anomaly in °C (how much above or below normal)
- The horizontal axis shows years from 1950 to 2024
- Red peaks above the line = El Niño years (warmer than normal)
- Blue dips below the line = La Niña years (cooler than normal)
- Near the zero line = Neutral years (normal temperature)
Historical SST Anomalies (1950-2024)
Click on years in the graph to highlight major events:
🗺️ Part 4: Visualize Temperature Patterns
Use the slider below to see how ocean temperatures change between La Niña, Normal, and El Niño conditions. Watch how warm water (red/yellow) moves across the Pacific!
- Move slider LEFT → See La Niña conditions (cooler eastern Pacific)
- Center position → Normal conditions
- Move slider RIGHT → See El Niño conditions (warmer eastern Pacific)
Normal Conditions
EQ = Equator | Left = Indonesia/Australia | Right = Peru/South America
Based on NOAA/PMEL sea surface temperature data
📈 Part 5: Track Recent Trends (2022-2024)
Now let's zoom in on recent years to see the most current patterns. This will help us make predictions about the future!
Recent Monthly SST Anomalies (2022-2024)
- 2022: Persistent La Niña conditions (blue bars below zero)
- 2023: Rapid transition from La Niña to strong El Niño (shift from blue to red)
- 2024: El Niño weakening and moving toward neutral/La Niña (red bars getting shorter, turning blue)
📥 Access Your Worksheet
Click the button below to open the lab worksheet on Google Drive:
💡 How to Complete This Lab:
- Explore the graphs and maps on this webpage - click on different years, analyze the patterns
- Take screenshots of the three visualizations (historical graph, temperature map, recent trends chart)
- Open the worksheet using the button above
- Make a copy of the document (File → Make a copy) to create your own editable version
- Answer all questions in your copy of the document
- Insert your screenshots into the document in the designated places
- Save your completed document
- Submit to Brightspace (see instructions below)
🎓 Submit to Brightspace
Follow these steps to submit your completed lab:
- Make sure you've answered all questions in your Word document
- Make sure you've inserted all three required screenshots into your Word document:
- Screenshot of Historical SST Anomaly Graph (1950-2024)
- Screenshot of El Niño Temperature Pattern Map
- Screenshot of Recent Trends Chart (2022-2024)
- Save your completed Word document
- Log into Brightspace
- Navigate to this course
- Click on Assignments
- Find "El Niño & La Niña Climate Detective Lab"
- Upload your completed Word document (with answers and screenshots)
- Click Submit
⚠️ Don't forget to submit! Your work won't be graded until it's in Brightspace.
This lab uses real data from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. To learn more about current conditions and see the latest forecasts, visit the resources linked throughout this lab!
Data sources: NOAA/CPC Oceanic Niño Index, NOAA/PMEL Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory