What is the difference between El Nino and La Nina?

La Nina is a Spanish term which represents ‘little girl’. Temperature at the sea surface is warmer than normal sea-surface temperatures. El Nino is a warming of the Pacific Ocean between South America and the Date Line, centred directly on the Equator, and typically extending several degrees of latitude to either side of the equator. read more

One of the important differences between La Nina and El Nino is in connection with the frequency of their occurrence. It is said that El Nino occurs more frequently than La Nina. As a matter of fact El Nino is more widespread than La Nina. read more

El Nino and La Nina are caused by the sea-surface temperatures in the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean interacting with the atmosphere. The cycle of the water temperature changing from warm to cold usually occurs every three to four years. This is known as oscillation. read more