El Niño: Oceanic aspects
Oceans, covering about 70 per cent of the earth's surface, act as huge reservoirs of heat energy from solar heating. The energy is then redistributed by oceanic currents to different parts of the globe. This distribution of energy, reflected in the temperatures of the upper layers of the oceans, interacts with the overlying atmosphere to influence climate. Abnormalities in these air–sea interactions can produce weather phenomena, such as El Niño. In Malaysia, the effects of El Niño are most pronounced in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.
- Information in the full article includes
- Weather phenomenon
- The life cycle of an El Niño