3000 B.C-Chemical signatures of warmer sea surface temperatures &
increased rainfall caused by El Nino appear in coral specimens at least this
old,some researchers claim to have found coral records that hold evidence of El
Nino cycles more than a 100,000 years ago.
1500 A.D-Fisherman off the coast of peru discover that periodic warm
waters hold down their anchovy catch.Peruvian farmers notice the warm waters
lead to increased rainfall,transforming normally barren areas into fertile
farmland.The warm current is dubbed El Nino after the child jesus,because it
usually appears around christmas.
1700-1900-European sailors make sporadic attempts at documenting the
phenomenon.Scientists become interested in identifying its cause.
1891-Dr.Luis Carranza,a Peruvian geographer,publishes an article
associating El Nino with unusual rain patterns & suggests it exerts "a very
great influence on the climate conditions of (this) part of the world."
1923-British scientist Sir Gilbert Walker discovers that when air
pressure is high in the pacific,it is low in the indian ocean from Africa to
Austrailia,and vice versa.His find,which he names the southern Oscillation,is
the first indication that weather conditions in distant parts of the tropical
pacific are connected.
1969-Professor Jacob Bjerknes of the university of California at Los
Angeles comes up with the first detailed description of how El Nino--now
officially known as El Nino/Southern Oscillation or ENSO for
short--works.
1982-83The strongest El Nino ever recorded wreaks havoc around the
world.Related floods,droughts & wildfires kill about 2,000 people
worldwide.Damage is estimated at $13 Billion.In the united states,the first
widespread attempts to study the phenomenon begin.
1997-1998An El Nino more powerful than the record 1982-83 event
develops in the pacific.Warnings are issued in mid 1997,& emergency
preparedness conferences are convened.By march 1998,El Nino-related flooding &
tornadoes have killed dozens in Florida & the rest of the U.S,
Georgia experienced a tornado killing over a dozen people
So what causes El Nino?periodically,trade winds near the equator
weaken or reverse direction,forcing a huge current of warm water that seesaws
back & forth across the pacific.The warm waters pool off the coast of peru
& raise the water 3 to 5 degrees
Click on graphic below to see the
current elnino event(animation)
To follow the current storm
VIA live radio,cam & hurricane past of city threatened,click below
