During El Niño, the temperature of water on the Peruvian Coast increases by _______

Correct option is A

Introduction
During an El Niño event, the trade winds weaken, causing warm surface water in the western Pacific to flow eastward toward the coast of South America. This results in a significant increase in the sea surface temperature along the Peruvian and Ecuadorian coasts. While the increase can vary, a rise of up to 10° C is a documented possible extreme change during a strong El Niño event.
Information Booster
· El Niño Definition: A climate pattern defined by the unusual warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
· Temperature Anomaly: The warm water surge along the coast of Peru causes the sea surface temperature to rise significantly.
· Extreme Increase: The temperature increase can be as high as 10° C in severe El Niño episodes.
· Impact: This temperature rise disrupts marine ecosystems (killing plankton and fish), causes heavy rainfall, and leads to flooding along the coast.
· Mechanism: It is caused by the weakening or reversal of the westward-blowing trade winds, which allows the warm water pool to slosh back eastward.
Additional Points
· 15° C, 2° C, and 5° C: These values either understate or are not the most extreme possible and documented temperature change for the Peruvian coast during a major El Niño event. A 2° C to 5° C change is common, but 10° C is a documented high for the most severe events.