Question
How does La Niña affect the climate of the Pacific Ocean?
The ocean becomes cooler.
The warm water moves toward the east.
The cold water sinks deeper into the ocean.
The strength of the prevailing winds decreases.
The ocean becomes cooler.
The warm water moves toward the east.
The cold water sinks deeper into the ocean.
The strength of the prevailing winds decreases.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Here's how it affects the climate of the Pacific Ocean:
1. **The ocean becomes cooler**: This statement is true. During La Niña events, the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific drop below average, leading to cooler conditions in those areas.
2. **The warm water moves toward the east**: This statement is not accurate for La Niña. Instead, during La Niña, warm water is typically pushed westward toward the western Pacific, resulting in a strong pool of warm water there, while the eastern Pacific becomes cooler.
3. **The cold water sinks deeper into the ocean**: This statement is somewhat accurate in the sense that the cooling due to La Niña can lead to strengthening upwelling in the eastern Pacific, which brings colder water from deeper in the ocean to the surface. However, the primary effect discussed in relation to La Niña is the surface temperature drop.
4. **The strength of the prevailing winds decreases**: This statement is also inaccurate. In fact, during La Niña, trade winds tend to strengthen, which helps to enhance the upwelling of colder water in the eastern Pacific.
In summary, the main impacts of La Niña include **cooler sea surface temperatures** in the central and eastern Pacific, **stronger trade winds**, and the eastward shift of warm surface waters towards the western Pacific.
1. **The ocean becomes cooler**: This statement is true. During La Niña events, the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific drop below average, leading to cooler conditions in those areas.
2. **The warm water moves toward the east**: This statement is not accurate for La Niña. Instead, during La Niña, warm water is typically pushed westward toward the western Pacific, resulting in a strong pool of warm water there, while the eastern Pacific becomes cooler.
3. **The cold water sinks deeper into the ocean**: This statement is somewhat accurate in the sense that the cooling due to La Niña can lead to strengthening upwelling in the eastern Pacific, which brings colder water from deeper in the ocean to the surface. However, the primary effect discussed in relation to La Niña is the surface temperature drop.
4. **The strength of the prevailing winds decreases**: This statement is also inaccurate. In fact, during La Niña, trade winds tend to strengthen, which helps to enhance the upwelling of colder water in the eastern Pacific.
In summary, the main impacts of La Niña include **cooler sea surface temperatures** in the central and eastern Pacific, **stronger trade winds**, and the eastward shift of warm surface waters towards the western Pacific.