El Niño Quiz

This form allows you to test yourself. When you are done, press the submit button at the bottom, and your answers will be marked as correct or incorrect.

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1. Choose the correct answer (only one answer)

(a) What does ENSO stand for?
    1. El Niño Surface Oscillation
    2. El Niño Southern Oscillation
    3. El Niño Southern Ocean
    4. El Niño Surfing Organization

(b) What does El Niño involve?
    1. warmer water moves eastward along the equator
    2. A slackening in the trade winds
    3. A little South American boy making waves in a pool
    4. first two choices only

(c) How often does El Niño occur?
    1. Every three years (periodic)
    2. Every four to seven years (quasi-periodic)
    3. Every fifteen to twenty years (quasi-periodic)
    4. Right before the US presidential elections (political)

(d) What is the SOI index based on?
    1. Index based on the pressure difference between Darwin and Tahiti
    2. Index based on the Sea surface temperature between Darwin and Tahiti
    3. Index based on Simple Optimal Interpolation
    4. Index based on the amount of convection at the dateline at the equator

(e) By what three ways can we tell that there may be an El Niño?
    1. Sea surface warms in the eastern equatorial Pacific, Trade winds strengthen, SOI index is negative
    2. Mudslide in back yard, Elvis returns, Heck freezes over
    3. Sea surface warms in the eastern equatorial Pacific, Trade winds weaken, SOI index is negative
    4. Sea surface warms in the eastern equatorial Pacific, Trade winds weaken, SOI index is positive

(f) What are some differences between El Niño and La Niña?
    1. In La Niña, the trade winds strengthen, and in El Niño they slacken or reverse
    2. Sea level rises at Easter Island during an El Niño
    3. The warm pool is shifted to the west during La Niña
    4. Upwelling can be "shut down" during a La Niña
    5. First three answers
    6. Ask a Spanish person

(g) What relationship is there between El Niño and North Atlantic hurricanes? La Niña and North Atlantic hurricanes?
    1. El Niño and La Niña are twins. Darth Hurricane is their father.
    2. They are both exclusively weather phenomena
    3. Less hurricanes during a La Niña, and more during an El Niño
    4. More hurricanes during a La Niña, and less during an El Niño

2. For the following picture, identify the feature and explain how it will change in an El Niño event.

(a) Feature A is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken

(b) Feature B is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken

(c) Feature C is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken

(d) Feature D is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken

(e) Feature E is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken

(f) Feature F is _____________     ________________________ during an El Niño.
    1. an ocean current.     It moves to the east
    2. the thermocline.     It occurs deeper in the eastern Pacific Ocean
    3. convection. It forms further east
    4. upwelling. It may get "shut off" by the layer of warm water above it
    5. normal circulation. The surface winds (trade winds) may reverse
    6. the warm pool. It starts to spread eastward when the trade winds slacken