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4.9 El Niño and La Niña

Part of Earth Systems and Resources in AP® Environmental Science. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

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El Niño and La Niña are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. Together they are called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which alternates every 2 to 7 years and can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.

In this unit

9 lessons

  1. 4.1Plate TectonicsPreview lesson
  2. 4.2Soil Formation and ErosionPreview lesson
  3. 4.3Soil Composition and PropertiesPreview lesson
  4. 4.4Earth’s AtmospherePreview lesson
  5. 4.5Global Wind PatternsPreview lesson
  6. 4.6WatershedsPreview lesson
  7. 4.7Solar Radiation and Earth’s SeasonsPreview lesson
  8. 4.8Earth’s Geography and ClimatePreview lesson
  9. 4.9El Niño and La NiñaThis lesson

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