Question

Given what you know about global circulation wind, the greenhouse effect, el Nino, and La Nina would you expect the southern U.S. to be wetter or drier during the winter time in an el Nino year?

A) Wetter
B) Drier
C) No Change
D) Can't be Determined

Answer 1

The southern U.S. tends to be wetter during an El Niño year due to altered wind patterns and increased precipitation events.

Step-by-step explanation:

During an El Niño year, the southern U.S. is expected to be wetter in the winter season. El Niño is characterized by a band of warmer ocean waters in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, which leads to high air pressure in the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern Pacific.

This alteration in pressure patterns across the Pacific can modify the jet stream path, bringing more moisture into the southern United States and resulting in increased rainfall.

The impact of El Niño is significant enough that it alters global circulation wind patterns, affecting the intensity of precipitation events, thus making them likely to increase on average during such periods.