Interannual variation

Interannual climate variations, including droughts, floods, and other events, are caused by a complex array of factors and Earth system interactions. One important feature that plays a role in these variations is the periodic change of atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns in the tropical Pacific region, collectively known as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variation. Although its primary climatic effects are concentrated in the tropical Pacific, ENSO has cascading effects that often extend to the Atlantic Ocean region, the interior of Europe and Asia, plus the polar regions. These effects, called teleconnections, occur […]