The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Niño vs. La Niña
- El Niño: Warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It often leads to wetter conditions in the southern U.S. and warmer, drier conditions in the north.
- La Niña: Cooling of the ocean surface, or below-average SSTs, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Its effects are generally the opposite of El Niño.
