Discussion

Respond to the following:

• Watch the youtube video titled "Ocean Temperatures - Changing Planet" (6 min 4 sec) under The Ocean terms section of the Science Corner. Next, describe one way that scientists use the ocean to monitor climate change. Then, examine the overall impact of a warmer ocean on the climate.

• After reading this section, describe the major interactions between the atmosphere and the surface ocean water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean under "normal" conditions. Next, describe the changes that occur in both the atmosphere and the underlying ocean during an El Niño event. (Note: Be sure to include the changes of atmospheric convection, warm surface ocean water, and the cold deep ocean water in your description. List a specific region that is impacted negatively by an El Niño event.)