Coupled variability of the tropical Pacific ocean and terrestrial atmosphere, including the warm El Niño phase, the cold La Niña phase, and associated changes in surface pressure, trade winds and the thermocline.
The cold phase of El Niño–Southern Oscillation, with central and eastern equatorial Pacific surface cooling.
The warm phase of the coupled tropical Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation, with central and eastern equatorial Pacific surface warming and a weakened Walker circulation. Changes of trade winds, thermocline depth, and equatorial Kelvin waves and equatorial Rossby waves participate in its evolution.
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The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate pattern that describes the periodic fluctuations in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. ENSO has three phases: 1. **El Niño**: This phase is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. It tends to occur every 2 to 7 years and can last several months to a couple of years.