What effect does the Peru currents have on the climate of South America?
1 Answer
Changes in rain and heat waves
Explanation:
The main current flowing along the coast of Peru is the Humbolt Current carrying cold low-salinity water from Antarctica and flowing S-N.
Other phenomena interact with this current and are named "El Nino" (the baby boy) and La Nina (the baby girl).
Typically El Nino develops around December (from which the name referring to the celebration of Christmas considered by Christians to be the birth date of Jesus son of God) with unusual warm water building up along the Peru coast.
The impact of such event is a strong increase in precipitations (rain) in Peru, Gulf of Mexico and some southern US sates. Other areas instead will experience dryer than usual conditions.
La Nina effect is the opposite of El Nino with colder than usual waters along the Peru coast.
El Nino and La Nina are part of what is defined as El Nino Southern Oscillation ENSO which causes changes in temperature and rainfall not only in Peru but across the world.
