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Sign in to searchECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
PRERNA FOR IAS
EL NIÑO AND INDIAN MONSOON
1. What is El Niño?
El Niño is a climatic phenomenon characterized by the unusual warming of sea surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is one phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and generally occurs every 2–7 years. During an El Niño event, the normal pattern of ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation is disrupted. This affects weather systems across the world, including India. El Niño is often associated with reduced rainfall, droughts, heat waves, and agricultural stress in many regions. Understanding El Niño is important because it significantly influences global climate, ecosystems, water resources, and economic activities.
2. How El Niño Develops
El Niño develops when the trade winds blowing across the Pacific Ocean weaken or reverse direction. Normally, these winds push warm surface water toward the western Pacific near Australia and Indonesia. When the winds weaken, warm water moves back toward the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. This raises sea surface temperatures in those regions and alters atmospheric pressure patterns. As a result, rainfall and convection shift eastward from the western Pacific. The Walker Circulation weakens, disrupting normal weather conditions worldwide. These ocean-atmosphere interactions trigger El Niño events, which can last several months and significantly influence climate patterns across continents.
3. Effects of El Niño on the Indian Monsoon
El Niño generally weakens the Indian southwest monsoon by altering atmospheric circulation patterns. Warmer waters in the eastern Pacific reduce the temperature difference between land and ocean, weakening monsoon winds. The weakened Walker Circulation causes subsiding air over the Indian subcontinent, suppressing cloud formation and rainfall. As a result, many parts of India receive below-normal rainfall during El Niño years. Reduced rainfall can lead to drought conditions, water shortages, and agricultural losses. Although every El Niño does not produce drought, there is a strong historical relationship between El Niño events and weak monsoons, making it an important factor in monsoon forecasting.
4. How El Niño Hampers Agricultural Growth in India
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Learn how El Niño weakens Indian monsoon, causes drought, impacts agriculture, and affects water resources, economy, and climate patterns across India.
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