El Nino

El Nino refers to a warming of the Pacific Equatorial waters and a slackening of the Trade Winds over those waters. But where does the name come from? It originates from Peru. Two big industries in Peru were fishing and fertilizer. Fishermen noticed that once every several years, the waters would warm; the upwelling of cold water that brought nutrients to the fish would stop; the fish that fed on the nutrients would leave; and the birds that fed on the fish would leave. The bird guano was a major source of fertilizer. It had a great impact on the local economy. They named it “El Nino” after the child, Jesus Christ, giving it a religious connotation because it seemed to occur around Christmas time.