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El Nino-Southern Oscillation

Trading Term

The El Nino-Southern Oscillation, abbreviated ENSO, is a recurring pattern of coupled changes in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation, alternating between warm El Nino, cool La Nina and neutral phases over roughly two to seven years. ENSO phase influences weather well beyond the Pacific, with El Nino conditions tending to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity through increased wind shear while La Nina conditions tend to favor it, and with related effects on spring severe thunderstorm activity across the United States. Because ENSO state is partially predictable months ahead, it is one of the main inputs to seasonal outlooks and to the baseline probabilities used to initialize seasonal hazard contracts.

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