In today's society, the weather phenomenon known as El Nino is often misunderstood. Worse still, a significant portion of the world doesn't even know what it is. The common man probably won't be able to tell you whether or not this is an environmental phenomenon or just something you order at Taco Bell. If we cannot accurately define the effects of El Niño, we cannot determine whether or not it is a problem that we should be concerned about. Understanding how and why it occurs will allow us to better understand the extent of its global impact. El Niño is a natural event that has been occurring for as long as humanity has recorded history. For hundreds of years, around Christmas, fishermen have noticed the emergence of an unusually warm current. Peruvians coined what they considered an inexplicable event as “El Nino,” which translates to “the little boy” in Spanish. Since the effects usually occurred around Christmas, the name refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. The phenomenon is caused by disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific, which has serious impacts on weather and climate across the world. warm currents seen by the fisherman. The climate of the Pacific Ocean is briefly modified around the equatorial region. The phrase is used to describe exceptionally intense and persistent events. An El Nino event will occur approximately every three to seven years and its intense conditions will impact the climate for at least one year. Unlike the South American fishermen of the past, today science can tell us what circumstances lead to events such as El Nino. Usually, the wind blows strongly from east to west...... middle of document ......[Online] Available http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/Nino/Overview.html , March 26, 1998. [email protected]. Brief notes on biological effects. http://www.ios.bc.ca/ios/sos/elnino/biol.htm, March 26, 1998 Glossary of terms. [Online] Available at http://www.dir.ucar.edu/esig/elnino/glossary.html, March 26, 1998. Kessler, Brian. Less Frequently Asked Questions About El Nino [Online] Available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/resources/elninofaq.html, March 26, 1998. Monastersky, R. "The Loitering El Nino: Greenhouse Guest?" Science News. January 27, 1998: 54. Simon, Tamar. El Nino threatens on the horizon. [Online] Available at http://www.exn.net/news/0.cfm?ThisStory=19970529-03.html Svitil, Kathy A "They saw it coming." Discover. January 1998: 82-83. Hot water, cold water and El Nino. [Online] Available at http://broadcast.webpoint.com/kwgn/elnino/elnino_upwellings.htm, March 26 1998.