Paleo Slide Set: Coral Paleoclimatology:Natural Record of Climate change for High School Student
This map shows where El Niņo occurs in the South Pacific

Scientists do not collect coral samples from just anywhere. The location of a site is extremely important. 
Paleoclimatologists are interested only in those sites where a clear, identifiable climate signal can be detected. 
Scientists want to spend their time studying an area that will give them the clearest picture of past climate change 
and so they explore areas of the globe where climate changes have been most dramatic.

El Niņo transforms the weather in the Pacific Ocean significantly, making it an important area for the study of 
climate history. An El Niņo is the appearance of warm waters in the eastern Pacific. El Niņo is Spanish for 
the Christ Child originally named by South American fishermen because the event occurs near Christmas time. 
Because El Niņo waters are much warmer than waters in other years, dramatically different regional climate 
patterns result. 

Photo Credits:
Sarah H. Dawson 
NOAA Paleoclimatology Program