La Niña

[ lah nee-nyah ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a cool ocean current that develops off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, sometimes following an El Niño but causing nearly the opposite extreme weather conditions.

La Niña

/ læ ˈniːnjə /

La Niña

/ länēn′yä /

A cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, occurring somewhat less frequently than El Niño events but causing similar, generally opposite disruptions to global weather patterns. La Niña conditions occur when the Pacific trade winds blow more strongly than usual, pushing the sun-warmed surface water farther west and increasing the upwelling of cold water in the eastern regions. Together with the atmospheric effects of the related southern oscillation , the cooler water brings drought to western South America and heavy rains to eastern Australia and Indonesia.
Compare El Niño

First recorded in 1985–90; from Spanish: literally, “the female child”; patterned after El Niño ( def )

C20: from Spanish: The Little Girl, to distinguish it from El Niño

No, it was not chance, for La Niña had figured in his dream, and his eyes were but following his thoughts.

As soon as the rest were gone past, he wheeled his horse, and rode direct for the cliff of La Niña.

His eyes wandered over the valley, now raised to the cliff of La Niña, and now resting upon the weed-covered ruin.

The animals are kept fronting the cliff, with their heads directed to the jutting point of La Niña.

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