Q1. With reference to El Niño and its possible implications for India, consider the following statements:
- El Niño refers primarily to periodic warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, accompanied by changes in atmospheric circulation.
- A strong El Niño necessarily causes deficient rainfall across every part of India during the southwest monsoon.
- The Indian Ocean Dipole can modify the relationship between El Niño conditions and the Indian southwest monsoon.
- The term “Super El Niño” is used for an exceptionally strong El Niño event and is not a separate formally defined phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: El Niño involves anomalous warming of the central/eastern tropical Pacific and associated atmospheric changes.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: El Niño generally tends to weaken the Indian monsoon, but its impact is not uniform or deterministic across India.
- Statement 3 is correct: The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) can influence and sometimes modify the effects of El Niño on Indian monsoon rainfall.
- Statement 4 is correct: “Super El Niño” is an informal description of an exceptionally strong event rather than a separate officially recognised ENSO phase.
