Which statement about El Niño and La Niña is supported by the material?

Which statement about El Niño and La Niña is supported by the material?

• A. They are unrelated phenomena.
• B. They can occur independently of each other.
• C. They are opposite phases of the same climate pattern.
• D. They always occur together.

Answer: (C)

El Niño and La Niña are two ends of the same Pacific Ocean–atmosphere cycle known as ENSO. In El Niño, warm sea surface temperatures develop in the central and eastern Pacific, which alters atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns. In La Niña, cooler sea surface temperatures in the same region strengthen the trade winds and produce the opposite weather responses. Because they are opposite states of the same oscillation, they don’t occur at the same time and aren’t simply unrelated or always linked. The material describes them as opposite phases of the same climate pattern, making that statement the most accurate.

El Niño and La Niña are two ends of the same Pacific Ocean–atmosphere cycle known as ENSO. In El Niño, warm sea surface temperatures develop in the central and eastern Pacific, which alters atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns. In La Niña, cooler sea surface temperatures in the same region strengthen the trade winds and produce the opposite weather responses. Because they are opposite states of the same oscillation, they don’t occur at the same time and aren’t simply unrelated or always linked. The material describes them as opposite phases of the same climate pattern, making that statement the most accurate.