The effects of El Niño in Mexico: A survey

Abstract

Mexico's geographical location makes it one of the countries most exposed to the low and mid-latitudes expressions of El Niño. The effects El Niño are to be found almost everywhere in the ocean, in the atmosphere, and by natural extension, on land, affecting most forms of activity in Mexico. The coastal ocean undergoes a 'tropicalization', with warmer water and tropical species found at higher latitudes along the Pacific coast and in the Gulf of California; motile organisms are displaced or must compete in a new environment, sessile organisms are depleted or die off. El Niño increases rainfall over the northern states, but reduces precipitation elsewhere in the country; as some cities suffer floods and landslides and the desert blooms, most of Mexico suffers the effect of drought, yields of basic crops are reduced, and mainland cities sustain the warmest and driest conditions. The challenges that arise from the studies in this volume include understanding the response to other large-scale climatic fluctuations and their interactions, both to mitigate the catastrophic effects of extreme events, and to better model the response of the environment to properly design sustainable forms of economic and social activity.