Where does the term 'in the doldrums' come from? The phrase means to feel sad or be in low spirits. It also means not to be in a state of progress, growth or improvement. The doldrums is an area around the Earth centred slightly north of the equator in the Indian and western Pacific oceans, the African and Central American west coasts. The large amount of solar radia tion that the area receives causes intense heating of the land and ocean. The heating results in the rising of warm, moist air, low air pressure, cloudiness, high humidity, variable winds and various forms of severe weather conditions such as thunderstorms and squalls. Hurricanes originate in the region. In the past, sailing ships feared the doldrums because the lack of wind there meant the ships would get stuck. Sailing vessels would not be able to move and would be trapped in the area for days or weeks. What is an El Nino? El Nino is the abnormal appearance, every few years, of unusually warm ocean conditions along the tropical west coast of South America. The event is associated with adverse effects on fishing, agriculture and weather conditions ranging from Ecuador to Chile and other parts of the world. It also causes unusual climatic conditions in the equatorial Pacific and occasionally in Asia and North America as well. The name El Nino was originally used during the 19th century by the fishermen of northern Peru in reference to the annual southward flow of warm equatorial waters around Christmas. El Nino means 'Christ Child' in Spanish because its appearance was associated with the Christmas season. Peruvian scientists later noted acute changes were associated with disastrous seasonal flooding along the normally dry coast while the abnormal heat lasted for a year or more. The name El Nino should not be confused with La Nina which means 'the little girl' in Spanish. La Nina refers simply to 'a cold event' or a 'a cold episode' whereas El Nino is often called 'a warm event'. Graphic: SPBRAIGLO
