In order to validate these models, studies are necessary to document the location and intensity of climatic impacts. Over 60 million individual climate observations were used to construct this climatology of ENSO impacts over North America. We are irrevocably linked to our ecosystem in events resulting from extremely cold winters, crop failure from drought, or emergency conditions such as flooding, heat waves, or forest fires. These events can cause higher heating bills and accelerating food prices. Many of our valuable resources are wasted due to lack of preparation.
Effective planning requires study of regional analysis of climatic variability.
The phenomenon known as El Ni o has been observed as early as the 1600's off the coast of Peru. El Ni o, for the Christ child. The development of the El Ni o phenomenon has its origins in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. Easterly trade winds relax and a westerly wind anomaly develops, exciting eastward propagating Kelvin waves along the equator. These waves suppress the thermocline, deepening the surface mixed layer.