Teleconnections: ENSO, NAO, and PDO
Teleconnections: ENSO, NAO, and PDO
💡 Key Takeaways
- Understand what teleconnections are and why ENSO, NAO, and PDO are key examples for weather and climate.
- Describe ENSO (El Niño and La Niña) and how its phases influence rainfall, temperature, and extreme weather worldwide.
- Explain NAO positive and negative phases and their impact on winter storm tracks, precipitation, and temperatures in Europe and North America.
- Describe the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and how its decadal phases interact with ENSO to shape longer-term climate variability in the Pacific region.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are teleconnections in climate science?
Teleconnections are climate links where anomalies in one region affect distant areas via atmospheric or oceanic circulation. ENSO, NAO, and PDO are major examples.
What is ENSO and how do El Niño and La Niña affect global weather?
ENSO is a tropical Pacific ocean–atmosphere pattern. El Niño (warm phase) often brings wetter conditions to parts of the Americas and drier conditions to Australia/SE Asia, while La Niña (cool phase) can have opposite effects.
What is NAO and how does it affect winter weather?
NAO measures the pressure difference between Iceland and the Azores. Positive NAO strengthens westerly winds, usually yielding milder, wetter winters in Northern Europe and the eastern U.S.; negative NAO can lead to colder, snowier winters in Europe and parts of North America.
What is the PDO and how does it influence climate?
The PDO is a long-term pattern of Pacific sea-surface temperatures with warm and cool phases lasting many decades. A positive (warm) phase can shift storm tracks and weather patterns in North America and the Pacific, while a negative (cool) phase has different regional impacts.