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Concept information

Preferred term

el Niño and la Niña  

Definition

  • The waters along the barren coast of Peru are cold and flow northward during most of the year, but around Christmas, they are warm and flow southward. The latter current was originally given the name El Niño, Spanish for “the boy.” Because of its timing, and because it is associated with refreshing rains, the name also refers to “child Jesus.” Every few years, the current is exceptionally intense and persistent, bringing very heavy rains that transform parts of the coastal desert into a garden. [Source: Encyclopedia of Global Warming & Climate Change; El Niño and La Niña]

Belongs to group

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/N9J-RQBJ0WTS-0

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