Which of the following climatic phenomena is characterized by the periodic anomalous warming of sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, disrupting global atmospheric circulation patterns and suppressing monsoon rainfall in South Asia?

💡 Solution & Explanation

El Nino represents the warm phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle, marked by weakened trade winds and the eastward migration of warm pool waters across the Pacific, which alters global jet streams and frequently induces drought conditions over the Indian subcontinent. La Nina denotes the corresponding cold phase with intensified trade winds. The Indian Ocean Dipole operates independently within the western and eastern tropical Indian Ocean basins. Monitoring these oceanic oscillations is critical for seasonal climate forecasting.