SSTs during an El Nino Year

• During an El Nino year, the SSTs in the eastern pacific become warmer than normal
• High surface pressure shifts from the eastern pacific to the western pacific
• Low pressure shifts from the western Pacific to the eastern pacific.
• This shift in surface pressure is called the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ->
• ENSO has a large impact on the precipitation distribution around the pacific basin