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The El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation

A. has a regular and predictable cycle.
B. affects weather conditions only in the Pacific region.
C. impacts the jet stream and global weather patterns.
D. involves primarily the Atlantic Ocean.

User JeffP
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The correct answer is C, as the El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation impacts the jet stream and global weather patterns. It encompasses both the warm (El Niño) and cool (La Niña) phases, which cause significant changes in weather conditions world-wide.

Thus, the correct option is c.

Step-by-step explanation:

The El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation impacts the jet stream and global weather patterns, making option C the correct answer. El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is characterized by a band of warm ocean water in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, leading to high air pressure in the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern Pacific.

The cool phase, La Niña, ensues when sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific are below average, with high air pressure in the eastern Pacific and low in the western. Both phases of ENSO lead to significant changes in global temperatures and rainfall patterns, affecting not just the Pacific region but also weather across the world. This can result in extreme weather conditions, such as droughts, floods, and tropical cyclones, which pose risks to farming, fishing, and economies globally.

Therefore, the correct option is C. impacts the jet stream and global weather patterns.

User Damd
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