AP Environmental Science Flashcards: El Niño and La Niña
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
Why must a global climate model account for geological and geographic factors when predicting the effects of an El Niño event?
It is necessary because these factors influence ENSO and cause the phenomena to affect different locations in different ways.
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Why must a global climate model account for geological and geographic factors when predicting the effects of an El Niño event?
It is necessary because these factors influence ENSO and cause the phenomena to affect different locations in different ways.
What are three global patterns affected by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation?
ENSO can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.
Describe the scope of the environmental effects resulting from El Niño or La Niña.
These events can cause global changes to weather and ocean patterns, not just localized ones.
What is the broader scientific term for the phenomena that include El Niño and La Niña?
The broader term is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
What is the primary environmental change that initiates El Niño and La Niña events?
The primary environmental change is the shifting of ocean surface temperatures within the Pacific Ocean.
What types of factors influence El Niño and La Niña events?
El Niño and La Niña are influenced by geological and geographic factors.
Where do the ocean temperature changes that characterize El Niño and La Niña occur?
The changing ocean surface temperatures associated with these phenomena occur in the Pacific Ocean.
What are El Niño and La Niña?
They are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
Do El Niño and La Niña affect all locations uniformly?
No, these phenomena can affect different locations in different ways.
A farmer in Australia notes a severe drought, while a fisherman in Peru reports unusually warm waters. What global phenomenon could link these events?
An El Niño event could link these observations, as it involves changing Pacific Ocean temperatures and can affect rainfall and ocean patterns differently in various locations.