AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: El Niño and La Niña
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 9
All Questions (9)
A) Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations
B) Surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean
C) Salinity levels in the Atlantic Ocean
D) The thickness of polar ice caps
Correct Answer: B
The text explicitly states that 'El Niño and La Niña are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.'
A) They are limited to the Southern Hemisphere.
B) They are confined to the coastal regions of the Pacific Ocean.
C) They are global.
D) They primarily affect the Northern Atlantic.
Correct Answer: C
The content specifies that 'These phenomena can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.'
A) Pacific Climate Cycle
B) Global Oscillation System
C) El Niño-Southern Oscillation
D) Oceanic Temperature Fluctuation
Correct Answer: C
The first sentence of the provided content identifies the events in parentheses: '(El Niño-Southern Oscillation)'.
A) The effects are uniform and predictable in all locations.
B) The effects are influenced by local geography and vary by location.
C) The effects are solely atmospheric and do not impact ocean circulation.
D) The effects are caused by geological factors, not by ocean temperature changes.
Correct Answer: B
The text states that these events 'are influenced by geological and geographic factors and can affect different locations in different ways,' indicating that impacts are not uniform.
A) Solar radiation and sunspot cycles
B) Human agricultural practices
C) Changes in global rainfall patterns
D) Geological and geographic factors
Correct Answer: D
The content explicitly mentions that 'El Niño and La Niña are influenced by geological and geographic factors.' The other options are not mentioned in the text.
A) Rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation
B) Ocean temperature, soil moisture, and air quality
C) Wind, tectonic plates, and sea ice extent
D) Ocean circulation, river flows, and groundwater levels
Correct Answer: A
The text states that these phenomena 'can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.'
A) An El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean will have no measurable effect on Europe.
B) The impact of a La Niña event on a specific location is partly dependent on that location's physical landscape.
C) El Niño and La Niña are caused by changes in global wind patterns.
D) Geological factors are an effect of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
Correct Answer: B
The text states that events are 'influenced by geological and geographic factors and can affect different locations in different ways.' This supports the inference that a location's geography (physical landscape) helps determine its specific response.
A) The ocean and the atmosphere
B) The sun and the ocean
C) The Earth's core and its crust
D) The atmosphere and the cryosphere
Correct Answer: A
The text describes the phenomena as 'changing ocean surface temperatures' (ocean) that 'can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns' (atmosphere), indicating an ocean-atmosphere interaction.
A) El Niño and La Niña are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
B) El Niño and La Niña are influenced by geological and geographic factors.
C) These phenomena can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns.
D) These phenomena can affect different locations in different ways.
Correct Answer: C
The student's claim of localized effects is directly contradicted by the text's statement that the phenomena cause 'global changes,' indicating that the effects extend far beyond the Pacific basin.