A variant of El Niño where warming occurs in the central Pacific rather than the eastern Pacific. Has different effects on Asian monsoons.
phenomenaWhat is El Niño Modoki?
El Niño Modoki (from Japanese meaning similar but different) was identified in the 2000s. Unlike classical El Niño which warms the eastern Pacific near South America, Modoki warming is centred in the central Pacific. Its effects on Southeast Asian monsoons can be different — sometimes opposite — to classical El Niño. Research into Modoki is ongoing and its predictability is lower than classical ENSO events.
Key points
- A variant of El Niño where warming occurs in the central Pacific rather than the eastern Pacific. Has different effects on Asian monsoons.
- Category: phenomena
Related terms
See also: el-nino-modoki is connected to other weather concepts. Browse the full glossary for related definitions.