Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
Q1. Examine the causes and characteristics of Super El Niño events. Analyse their impacts on global climate and extreme weather patterns. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: NDTV
Why the question
Increasing frequency of extreme climatic events and recent projections of a possible strong El Niño make understanding its dynamics crucial for geography and disaster preparedness.Key Demand of the question
The question requires explaining the causes and defining features of Super El Niño events, followed by analysing their impacts on global climate and extreme weather patterns. It tests conceptual clarity of ocean-atmosphere interactions and their applied implications.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Briefly introduce ENSO system and highlight how Super El Niño represents an intensified phase with global climatic relevance.Body
- Causes of Super El Niño: Explain extreme ocean-atmosphere coupling with strong SST anomalies, weakened trade winds, enhanced subsurface heat build-up and positive feedback mechanisms amplifying the event.
- Characteristics of Super El Niño: Highlight very high SST anomalies, eastward shift of convection zones, suppression of upwelling, altered Walker circulation and strong global teleconnections.
- Impacts on global climate and extreme events: Analyse effects such as global temperature rise, monsoon variability, heatwaves, droughts and floods, marine ecosystem disruption and cyclone pattern changes.
Conclusion
Provide a forward-looking line linking intensifying ENSO variability with the need for improved forecasting and climate resilience strategies.
