Question

El Nino is

• A. A Sea storm
• B. A warm ocean current
• C. A tropical disturbance
• D. Another name of typhoon

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

El Niño is a well-known climatic phenomenon that originates in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and has far-reaching impacts on global weather patterns. The term El Niño literally means “The Little Boy” or “The Christ Child” in Spanish, named by Peruvian fishermen who first noticed the periodic warming of ocean waters around Christmas time.

Step 1 — Nature of El Niño:
El Niño is essentially a warm ocean current that replaces the normally cool surface waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean near the coasts of Peru and Ecuador.
• Under normal conditions, strong trade winds push warm surface waters westward, allowing cold, nutrient-rich water to rise along the South American coast (upwelling).
• During El Niño, these trade winds weaken or reverse, and the warm waters from the western Pacific flow back eastward, spreading across the central and eastern Pacific.

Step 2 — Climatic effects:
• Causes heavy rainfall and flooding in some regions (like the west coast of South America).
• Leads to droughts in other regions (such as Australia, Indonesia, and parts of India).
• Alters the Indian monsoon and is often linked to weaker rainfall in South Asia.
• Influences global weather patterns including hurricanes, cyclones, and unusual temperature variations.

Step 3 — Economic and environmental impacts:
• Marine life and fisheries along the Peruvian coast suffer because warm waters reduce nutrient upwelling, leading to lower fish catches.
• Agriculture, water supply, and disaster preparedness are heavily affected across the globe.

Final Answer:
El Niño is a warm ocean current. This corresponds to Option (B).