The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an alternating system of climate patterns characterized by variations in sea surface temperatures and precipitation across the equatorial Pacific Ocean that depart from neutral conditions; ENSO's warm phase is called El Niño and its cool phase is called La Niña.
January 01, 2025
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definition
General definition of the ENSO climate phenomenon and its phases
A 1999 economic study estimated that La Niña-related drought cost U.S. agriculture between $2.2 billion and $6.5 billion, compared with an estimated $1.5 billion cost attributed to El Niño.
January 01, 1999
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statistical
Historical economic assessment comparing estimated U.S. agricultural costs associated with La Niña versus El Niño.