what is enso

ENSO stands for El Niño-Southern Oscillation, which is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. It affects the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics, and is one of the most important climate phenomena on Earth due to its ability to change the global atmospheric circulation, which in turn, influences temperature and precipitation across the globe. ENSO has three states or phases: El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral. During El Niño, the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific become warmer than average, while during La Niña, they become cooler than average. Neutral is in the middle of the continuum. ENSO is a coupled climate phenomenon, meaning that it requires certain changes in both the ocean and the atmosphere. ENSO is a potential tipping element in Earths climate and, under global warming, can enhance or alternate regional climate extreme events through a strengthened teleconnection.