The 2015-2016 El Niño was one of the strongest ever recorded.

The 2015-2016 El Niño was one of the strongest ever recorded.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It was among the strongest ever recorded
• D. Not enough data

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how strong the El Niño was compared with past events. The 2015–2016 El Niño produced very large and sustained sea surface temperature anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific, driving widespread weather impacts around the globe. In the historical record, events this intense are rare, and many assessments describe this one as among the strongest on record. Because exact rankings can depend on which metric you use (peak anomaly, duration, or the region you look at), saying it was among the strongest ever recorded best captures the overall understanding without overstating it. That’s why this choice is the most accurate: it reflects the extreme strength while acknowledging that precise ranking can vary with the method of measurement. Not enough data isn’t correct here, since we have extensive observations showing how powerful the event was.

The main idea is how strong the El Niño was compared with past events. The 2015–2016 El Niño produced very large and sustained sea surface temperature anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific, driving widespread weather impacts around the globe. In the historical record, events this intense are rare, and many assessments describe this one as among the strongest on record. Because exact rankings can depend on which metric you use (peak anomaly, duration, or the region you look at), saying it was among the strongest ever recorded best captures the overall understanding without overstating it. That’s why this choice is the most accurate: it reflects the extreme strength while acknowledging that precise ranking can vary with the method of measurement. Not enough data isn’t correct here, since we have extensive observations showing how powerful the event was.