Pacific_Anticyclone

South Pacific High

South Pacific High

Weather phenomenon off the Peru and northern Chile coasts

The South Pacific High is a semi-permanent subtropical anticyclone located in the southeast Pacific Ocean. The area of high atmospheric pressure and the presence of the Humboldt Current in the underlying ocean make the west coast of Peru and northern Chile extremely arid. The Sechura and Atacama deserts, as the whole climate of Chile, are heavily influenced by this semi-permanent high-pressure area. This high-pressure system plays a major role in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and it is also a major source of trade winds across the equatorial Pacific.[1]

Sketch showing the normal location of the Pacific High west of Peru and Chile

See also

References

  1. [1]
    E. Linacre; B. Geerts (August 1998). "The South Pacific High, ocean currents, and El Niño". University of Wyoming. Retrieved 13 May 2019.


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