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Air + Water = Weather |
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The atmosphere and the ocean interact to produce weather. Moist air develops over warm water. Dry air develops over cool water. Normally in the Pacific, strong trade winds blow east to west, keeping warm water and moist air in the western Pacific.
During an El Niño, the trade winds weaken, and the warm water moves east. The western Pacific becomes drier, and the eastern Pacific moister. |
Normal conditions (top) and El Niño conditions (bottom). |
