Effect of extreme El Niño events on the precipitation of Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract. Extreme El Niño events stand out not only because they have powerful impacts but also because they are significantly different from other El Niños. In Ecuador, such events are accountable for negatively impacting the economy, infrastructure, and population. Spatial–temporal dynamics of precipitation anomalies from various types of extreme El Niño events are analyzed and compared. Results show that for eastern Pacific (EP) and coastal Pacific (COA) El Niño types, most precipitation extremes occur in the first half of the second year of the event. Any significant difference between events becomes more evident at this stage. Spatially, for any event, 50 % of all extreme anomalies occurred at elevations < 150 m. The difference between events was significant when considering the altitude when reaching 80 % of all extreme anomalies: the eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño from 1997/98 (EP98) at 500 m, the El Niño from January to April 2017 (COA17) at 800 m, and the EP El Niño from 1982/83 (EP83) at 1000 m. Nevertheless, in some sectors of the Andean Cordillera, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal could be detected at 3200–3900 m. The distance to the coastline and the steepness of relief may play a determining role. At lowlands, anomalies are most severe in regions where the seasonality index is the highest. These results are useful at different decision-making levels for identifying the most appropriate practices reducing vulnerability from a potential increase in extreme El Niño frequency and intensity.

Clustering Provinces with Drought Risk Based on Daily Maximum Temperature

“…Many factors affect the increase in daily maximum temperature, one of which is the sun's trajectory because the sun's apparent position above Indonesia causes relatively more solar radiation received so that the temperature will increase during the day [1]. In addition, the El Niño problem also influences this because when El Niño occurs, sea surface temperatures warm above average conditions in the central Pacific Ocean [2]. As a result of this warming of the sea surface, cloud growth in the Pacific Ocean increases, and the Indonesian region will experience a reduction in rainfall, which triggers drought in Indonesia.…”

Efectos del fenómeno “El Niño” en la Región Andina: una aproximación empírica

“…diferentes según la ubicación geográfica de cada región. En Bolivia, las anomalías climáticas presentan mucha variabilidad, con exceso y déficit de precipitaciones a lo largo de la cuenca amazónica, mientras que, en la zona del altiplano, predominan las sequías moderadas(CAF, 2000).En Ecuador, el FEN se manifiesta generalmente con un exceso de precipitaciones, particularmente en la zona costera y Galápagos que, a su vez puede causar erosión del suelo y deslizamientos de tierra(Rollenbeck et al, 2022;Thielen et al, 2023). A su vez, los patrones de sequía en Ecuador son diferentes a nivel subnacional, de manera que se distingue los efectos de El Niño Global en las sequías de la zona de la sierra andina y de El Niño Costero en las llanuras de la zona occidental cerca de la Amazonía(Vicente-Serrano et al 2016).Esta variabilidad climática puede afectar negativamente a la agricultura, la ganadería y el suministro de agua potable, el acceso a servicios básicos y la capacidad de prestar servicios sociales, lo que a su vez puede tener impactos económicos y sociales adversos en la región.…”