﻿OCEAN 
  CURRENT 
  CALLED 
  'THE 
  CHILD 
  — 
  MEARS 
  

  

  247 
  

  

  The 
  Humboldt 
  Current 
  carries 
  to 
  the 
  Equator 
  a 
  cool 
  temperate 
  

   climate, 
  and 
  the 
  region 
  is 
  noteworthy 
  for 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  tropical 
  dis- 
  

   eases 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  tropical 
  storms. 
  Consequently 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  this 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  Tropics 
  are 
  unaccustomed 
  to 
  the 
  features 
  usually 
  associated 
  

   with 
  such 
  regions 
  and 
  are 
  unprepared 
  to 
  cope 
  with 
  them 
  ; 
  they 
  regulate 
  

   their 
  lives 
  largely 
  upon 
  the 
  course 
  and 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  Humboldt 
  Current. 
  

   Their 
  faith 
  is 
  usually 
  justified. 
  But 
  occasionally 
  a 
  violent 
  year 
  like 
  

  

  Figube 
  1. 
  — 
  Invasion 
  of 
  warm 
  waters 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  (commonly 
  called 
  El 
  Nifio) 
  

   during 
  average 
  year 
  (southern 
  summer). 
  

  

  Warm 
  waters 
  of 
  El 
  Nifio 
  * 
  ► 
  ► 
  ► 
  

  

  Cool 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Humboldt 
  > 
  ► 
  ► 
  ► 
  

  

  1891 
  or 
  1925 
  appears 
  on 
  the 
  calendar. 
  Then 
  the 
  northward-flowing 
  

   Humboldt 
  Current 
  is 
  abruptly 
  either 
  pushed 
  aside 
  or 
  covered 
  up 
  tem- 
  

   porarily 
  by 
  the 
  southward-rushing 
  El 
  Nino. 
  In 
  1925 
  disturbances 
  

   were 
  reported 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  Valparaiso; 
  in 
  1941, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Pisco 
  

   (12° 
  S., 
  76° 
  W.) 
  , 
  or 
  thereabouts. 
  

  

  Wherever 
  El 
  Nino 
  goes, 
  both 
  air 
  and 
  sea 
  water 
  become 
  tepid. 
  The 
  

   cool- 
  water 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  Humboldt 
  Current, 
  consisting 
  of 
  birds 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  fishes, 
  migrates 
  or 
  dies. 
  In 
  1925 
  the 
  entire 
  coast 
  line 
  was 
  strewn 
  

  

  