southern oscillation
noun
a low-latitude fluctuation of atmospheric pressure closely linked with El Niño events, specifically the periods of El Niño warming and La Niña cooling.
Words nearby southern oscillation
Scientific definitions for southern oscillation
southern oscillation
The cyclic variation of atmospheric pressure at sea level between the eastern and western regions of the southern Pacific Ocean as a result of the periodic cooling and warming of surface water known as La Niña and El Niño. It has an average period of 2.33 years.