EL Nino(厄尔尼诺)has existed for a long time. It was first observed by Peruvian fishermen, who noticed that the sea warmed up every few years around Christmas time. They named the phenomenon EL Nino, which is Spanish for "the child", and refers to the young Christ.
In more recent years, scientists have established that EL Nino appears every two to seven years. Its cause is still unknown, but it"s clear that when it does appear, it can disrupt(扰乱)weather patterns over three quarters of the globe. In fact, after the EL Nino of 1982-1983, climatologists realized that it affects the world"s weather system more than any other phenomenon except the seasons. That EL Nino killed over 2,000 people in floods and droughts(旱灾)and caused $13 billion worth of damage
Plenty is now known about EL Nino"s destructive potential, but the phenomenon itself remains mysterious. Despite years of research, scientists are still unable to predict how destructive an EL Nino will be when it arrives. However, progress is being made on forecasting when one will occur. This is very important because, if enough warning is given, steps can be taken to limit the destruction and suffering that following a bad EL Nino . At the very least, farmers would know whether to plant dry-or wet-weather crops. Peruvian fishermen named the phenomenon EL Nino probably because ______.