OceanActivity:

El Nino Part 1

Print this page.  Use the illustration and follow the steps  to see what happens during an normal year.  Print Part II to compare a normal year with an El Nino

1. Imagine you are in the Pacific Ocean just above or below the equator

2. Do you feel the wind blowing from east to west? You are feeling the tradewinds.

3. The tradewinds push water east to west. This creates an ocean current.

4. The tradewinds push the storms and hurricanes to the west.

5. The tradewinds cool the water at the surface.

6. As the tradewinds push the water toward the west it actually causes the water to "pile" up in the west.

Try it yourself. Put some water in a glass. Blow on it. See how it "piles" up on the other side of the glass?

NOW compare this to an El Nino Year with part II of the OceanActivity

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