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When pressure differences in the western and eastern Pacific cause the trade winds to reverse, it is called:

a) El Niño
b) La Niña
c) Monsoon
d) Trade reversal

User Carena
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Final answer:

The reversal of trade winds caused by pressure differences in the western and eastern Pacific is known as El Niño, which is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and leads to global weather changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

When pressure differences in the western and eastern Pacific cause the trade winds to reverse, this phenomenon is known as El Niño. El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is characterized by a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific, including off the Pacific coast of South America. The signature of El Niño includes high air pressure in the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern Pacific, which can lead to a reversal of the trade winds. These changes are associated with global shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns, including extreme weather in some regions.

In contrast, La Niña represents the cool phase of ENSO, characterized by below-average Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) in the eastern Pacific and the opposite patterns of air pressure compared to El Niño. Unlike El Niño and La Niña, a monsoon is a seasonal reversal of winds associated with heavy rains, particularly in South Asia. The impact of the Coriolis force on wind patterns contributes to phenomena like the rotation of cyclones, but it is not related to the reversal of trade winds.

User NoorJafri
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