Final answer:
The primary difference between El Niño and La Niña is a. temperature differences in the Pacific Ocean due to changes in trade winds, affecting oceanic currents. El Niño refers to the warm phase with high air pressure in the western Pacific, while La Niña is the cool phase with lower sea surface temperatures and high pressure in the eastern Pacific.
Step-by-step explanation:
El Niño is a warm phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) where a band of warm ocean water develops 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 phenomenon has significant effects on global weather patterns, including the possibility of extreme weather in some regions. The primary difference between El Niño and La Niña is temperature differences in the Pacific ocean brought about by a change in the trade winds that affects the upwelling of oceanic currents.
In contrast, La Niña is the cool phase of ENSO, occurring when sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern Pacific is below average and air pressure patterns are reversed from El Niño. La Niña also affects global temperature and precipitation patterns but tends to be less extensive and damaging in its effects compared to El Niño.